• Home
  • About
    • Our Family
    • Our Purpose
    • Our Beliefs
    • Our Christmas Letters
    • Other FAQ’s
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

Flanders Family Homelife

Living, Loving, & Learning Together

  • Home
  • Love
    • Respect your Husband
    • Love your Wife
    • Get Along with In-laws
    • Find Time for Intimacy
    • More on Marriage
  • Learn
    • Why Homeschool? Our Family’s Reasons
    • Occupying Toddlers
    • Kindergarten Plan
    • Choosing Curriculum: Cultivate Your Child’s Love for Learning
    • Report Cards
    • High School Transcripts
    • CLEP/ Dual Credit
    • High School Diplomas
  • Parent
    • Tips on Potty Training
    • Stop Sibling Squabbles
    • Chore Assignments
    • Computer TIme
    • Adult Children at Home
  • Eat
    • Breakfasts
    • Breads
    • Salads
    • Soups
    • Sides
    • Main DIshes
    • Desserts
  • Celebrate
    • New Year’s
    • Valentine’s Day
    • Easter
    • Summer Vacation
    • Independence Day
    • Back to School
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
  • Save
    • Kids Eat Free
    • Budgeting Tips
    • Earn Cash Back w/Ebates
  • Read
    • Recent Reads
    • Books We’ve Authored
    • Reading Rewards
    • Free Books!!
  • Travel
    • Vacation Planning
    • We Flew FREE to Europe
    • Sample Itineraries
  • Organize
    • General Tips
    • Goal Setting
    • Mom’s Notebook
    • Kitchen
    • Bedrooms
    • Garage
  • Print
    • Calendars
    • Chore Charts
    • Coloring Pages
    • Math Drills
    • Prayer Guides
    • View All >
  • Subscribe
You are here: Home / Books / Trapped at the Bottom of the Sea (& Other May Reads)

in Books

Trapped at the Bottom of the Sea (& Other May Reads)

180 shares
  • 180

Trapped at the Bottom of the Sea (and other May Reads)

I’m finally getting around to sharing the books I read in May (plus one — Frank Peretti’s Trapped at the Bottom of the Sea — that my son read aloud to me). But better late than never!

The last couple of weeks have been a little crazy for our family! Since my last book review post, we’ve welcomed a new grandbaby, added a new daughter-in-law, and published a new book! (More about that in July.)

In a departure from my mostly-nonfiction book diet, 80% of the books our family read last month were works of pure fiction. Here’s our impressions of each:

Larger-Than-Life Lara by Dandi Daley Mackall

Larger-Than-Life LaraSeveral family members read Dandi Daley Mackall’s Just Sayin’ in April and loved it. So when I spotted Larger-Than-Life Lara as another free offering from Tyndall’s My Reader Rewards Program, I was thrilled.

I ordered it right away and read it aloud to my children over the course of a week. My husband got in on the book a couple chapters in and was as eager as our children to hear how the story unfolded.

The story centers on Lara, the title character, who is the object of intense bullying at her new school. Yet she forgives freely and treats her attackers with kindness and compassion. The story is told from the perspective of one of Lara’s classmates. With chapters such as Setting, Dialogue, Conflict, Suspense, and Cliff Hanger, readers learn about what makes a good story even as they’re reading one.

Mackall is such an imaginative storyteller; she has quickly become one of my new favorite authors. I’ve already ordered a third of the nearly 500 books to her credit — another freebie from My Reader Rewards. This program is free, so if you haven’t already joined, click through my referral link and sign up TODAY. I know you’ll be glad you did!

Trapped at the Bottom of the Sea by Frank Peretti

Trapped at the Bottom of the SeaAs I’ve mentioned before, Frank Peretti’s Cooper Kids Adventures have marked a huge turning point in terms of reading enjoyment and proficiency for one of my sons who had struggled with reading in the past. And Trapped at the Bottom of the Sea has done much to cement his new-found love of reading.

We began this series by alternating pages — he’d read one, then I’d read one. However, now he gets so immersed in the story that he reads two or three before realizing he skipped my turn! If I don’t watch him, he’ll even read ahead. Ha! That’s a great problem to have, no?

All the books in this series have an Indiana Jones flavor. That is, if Jones were a widower with two teenage children! Trapped at the Bottom of the Sea has been our favorite yet. There’s a lot of emotion in this one, as well as action and suspense. Jake and Jay Cooper must race the clock (not to mention a band of angry terrorists) to rescue Lila from the life-threatening situation in which she finds herself (as noted in the book’s title)

Unfortunately, we lost our copy of the book at the height of the action. Thanks to the fact we were traveling when the replacement copy arrived, we had to sweat a week-long wait to read the rest of the story. It took a bit longer for us to finish the book as a result, but the conclusion was well worth it.

Flick by Lynn Floyd Wright

Trapped at the Bottom of the Sea and other May ReadsThe author of this story happens to be a reader of my blog. A few months ago, she sent me a pile of children’s books she’s written. She called this “just because” gift “surcie.” That’s a fun word for an even more delightful concept. Look it up!

Anyway, Lynn’s titles include both picture and chapter books for children. Flick is one of the latter. I read it aloud to my grandchildren last month. Their mother spent a week in Georgia visiting her ailing father, and I had babysitting duty for several of the days she was gone.

My grandsons live out in the country and are full of energy. Although they rarely slow down more than a minute or two, they were quiet and attentive every time I pulled out this book and began to read. They have some experience with rescue dogs — even the three-legged variety — so Flick’s backstory really resonated with them. They’d beg for “just one more chapter” every evening. That was partly in a bid to delay bedtime. But mostly because they so enjoyed this sweet tale of a boy, his dog, and the bonds of love between them.

Big Game by Stuart Gibbs

Big GameThis is the fourth installment we’ve read in the Fun Jungle series. “Fun” is the operative word here. Stuart Gibbs writes light but nevertheless well-researched reads the whole family can enjoy.

The mystery is thick as ever in Big Game when somebody starts taking potshots at the zoo’s pregnant rhinoceros, Rhonda. Throw in some elephant stampedes and gobs of pilfered sweets for a plot that’ll keep you guessing to the end.

The zoo’s owner, J.J. McCracken, recruits 13-year-old Teddy Fitzroy to help investigate the crimes. But a security guard named “Large Marge” still regards Teddy as her #1 suspect. She ignores all evidence pointing to the contrary and spends the majority of the book trying to prove that he’s the sneaky culprit behind everything that goes wrong at the zoo.

As usual, readers will learn a lot about wildlife conservation, behavior, and habitat along the way as they read through yet another page-turning adventure.

Exploring Creation with Zoology 3 by Jeannie Fulbright

Exploring Creation with Zoology 3Subtitled “Land Animals of the Sixth Day,” this is the only nonfiction book we finished last month. Granted, we began reading it together last fall, so I technically only finished the last couple of chapters in May.

I’ve been a fan of Apologia’s science courses for as long as I can remember. Their Exploring Creation books for elementary age kids have been a godsend for teaching science to a wide range of young ages at once.

All the material is taught in such an engaging and memorable way that my kids retain what they learn for a long, long time. After using these books at home for years, our family joined a weekly co-op that uses the Exploring Creation series as the foundation of all their elementary science courses. That suits me perfectly. We still read through the text and do the assignments at home, but they do the (sometimes messy) experiments in class. That’s the best of both worlds!

And that completes my reading list for May: Larger-Than-Life Lara, Trapped at the Bottom of the Sea, Flick, Big Game, Exploring Creation with Zoology 3. All great titles for kids. All wonderful choices for reading aloud and sharing together.

Want more recommended reads? You can read my other book reviews by following this link.

Related

180 shares
  • 180

2 Comments

« Timberdoodle: My End-of-Year Post
Free Printable DO NOT DISTURB Signs »

Comments

  1. Lynn Wright says

    June 20, 2019 at 9:18 am

    What a lovely surprise to see Flick on your blog! So glad kids enjoyed and thanks for the plug, dear girl! Looking forward to checking out that Perretti book.

    Reply
    • Jennifer Flanders says

      June 25, 2019 at 10:35 pm

      You’re welcome, Lynn. My grandkids are already begging me to come back and read the next book in the series.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




meet the parents

Doug & Jennifer Flanders - www.flandersfamily.info

We love Jesus, love each other, love our 12 children, and love the life God's given us. We started this blog as a way to share resources with others who want strong marriages, happy families, & healthy homes.

Read more

connect with us

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

looking for something?

freebies in your inbox

Join over 19K other subscribers and get sunshine delivered weekly to your inbox.

Unsure? Browse my newsletter archives to see what you're missing

get your family talking

Table Talk Book

cook gourmet meals at home

HelloFresh delivers great recipes and fresh ingredients to your home each week.

start your day right

make over your mornings

If your mornings don't run as smoothly as you'd like, this course can help. Good for night owls & early birds alike!

join the conversation

  • Jennifer Flanders on Stabilo Pencils (Another Timberdoodle Review)
  • Jennifer Flanders on Little Artist Sticker Medley (Timberdoodle Review)
  • maryanne on Little Artist Sticker Medley (Timberdoodle Review)
  • maryanne on Stabilo Pencils (Another Timberdoodle Review)
  • Jennifer Flanders on 2022 Calendars (Free Printables)
  • Jennifer Flanders on Quixo for Quick Fun (Timberdoodle Review)
  • Jennifer Flanders on Atomic Habits (& More April Reads)
  • Jennifer Flanders on Best 2022 Reading Rewards Programs for Kids

Readers' Favorites

Name that Line - Christmas Movie Game

Name that Line Christmas Quiz

Shares: 32135

How Well Do You Know Your Christmas Carols

How Well Do You Know Your Christmas Carols?

Shares: 27316

Age-Appropriate Children's Chore Chart - IG

Age-Appropriate Chores for Children

Shares: 92699

Make Every Month More Meaningful

Make Every Month More Memorable

Shares: 52418

most popular posts this week

  • 2022 Calendars (Free Printables)
  • 2023 Calendars for Advanced Planning
  • Free Editable High School Transcript Template
  • Armor of God Coloring Page
  • Baby Shower Word Scramble (Free Printable)
  • Number Writing Practice Sheet (Free Printable)
  • Fruit of the Spirit Coloring Page
  • Free Travel Bingo Cards
  • Free Chart for Keeping Track of Medications
  • Free Printable Road Trip Games

earn free books and bibles

Tyndale Rewards Club

This is a great program, and it's FREE! Bonus: when you sign up through this link, you get 25 points (& I get 10 -- so, thanks!).

free starter set

Free Starter Set from Grove Collaborativefree starter set from Grove

unleash your child’s creativity

agathon web hoting
Christian Family Blogs
  • Home
  • Faith
  • Family
  • Food
  • Fun
  • Freebies

visit jennifer’s blog

Jennifer Flanders' Blog: Loving Life At Home Loving Life at Home

visit doug’s blog

Doug Flanders' Blog: All Truth Is God's Truth All Truth is God's Truth

privacy policy | disclosure statement

shop our books

25 Ways to Communicate Respect to Your Husband 25 Ways to Show Love to Your Wife
Sit Down & Eat Get Up & Go

thanks for dropping by

Thank you for visiting our website Let's Get Social
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

looking for something?

recommended resources

as seen on:

America Tonight ABC Australia BBC Tyler Morning Telegraph

Because it’s more fun to watch blockbuster movie Because it’s more fun to watch blockbuster movies in costume (even if the character you’re dressed as was killed off in the first film of the franchise).  #jurassicworlddominion #topgunmaverick #summermovies #familyfun
It’s official. We sold our house last Friday. If It’s official. We sold our house last Friday. If you need a good realtor, @jonirudak is AMAZING!
Well, we put our house on the market, and it sold Well, we put our house on the market, and it sold in 3 days. So after 5 1/2 years in this happy home, we’ll begin moving out this week.  #godisgood but #movingishard
We love our sweet girl. I’m not sure why anyone We love our sweet girl. I’m not sure why anyone as gregarious as Rebekah finds this “don’t talk to me” meme so hilarious (see my last post for pictures), as she is an amazing conversationalist and always has been.  I even thought about stitching a disclaimer on the back of the Christmas sweater (my gift to her) that read: “These dogs may be anti-social, but I love meeting new people, so introduce yourself!”  #strikeupaconversation
So a couple of months before Rebekah graduated fro So a couple of months before Rebekah graduated from nursing school, her sister/roommate Bethany came up with a plan that the whole family should memorialize her accomplishment with hand-crafted gifts featuring a meme that — for whatever reason — totally cracks Bekah up. Here’s the results of our labors ( minus the doggie-embellished flower pot Beth gave her early. I didn’t get a picture of that one). 
Next batch of photos, I’ll share Bekah’s reaction to the gifts. Spoiler: She loved them!.  #flandersfamilycreates
Mother’s Day 2022 — Enjoying dinner at Samuel Mother’s Day 2022 — Enjoying dinner at Samuel and Bekah’s house while they’re still in Tyler. They’ll be leaving in August for a job in San Antonio. We’re excited for them, but a little sad for us, as it’s been so nice having them close. ❤️
Celebrating our newest UTTyler graduate 👩‍🎓: We couldn’t be prouder of our tender-hearted Rebekah. She loves the LORD, cares deeply about others, and is going to make a fantastic nurse. Keep up the good work @flander.7 ❤️❤️  #classof22 #uttyler #nursingschool
I’m finally getting around to posting a few pics I’m finally getting around to posting a few pics from our family’s recent stay in Cleburne (with a day trip to the Fort Worth Zoo).  There are so many fun, free things to do in Cleburne! Our favorite? The free community showing of the at the @laylandmuseum of the classic film Charade (starring Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant) with free popcorn, saltwater taffy, and bottled root beer provided by @trovatostreet. What a treat! We’re so glad our trip coincided with this monthly event.  #flandersfamilytravels
Dress for the career you want, they say. Judging Dress for the career you want, they say.  Judging by my grandson’s choice of clothes, he wants a career where he can fight fires, do surgery, and demonstrate his ninja skills — all at the same time. Oh, and also ride his bike to work.  For months now, he has been living in the same set of scrubs I stitched for his daddy at that age. They’re holding up pretty well!  #raidingthecostumecloset #thejoysofdressingup
We had a great time reconnecting with old friends We had a great time reconnecting with old friends and making new ones at the Called to Teach Convention in Allen in April.

Copyright © 2022 · Market theme by Restored 316

180 shares
  • 180