Books are our friends!

Some friends of ours recently recommended and loaned us "Redwall" by Brian Jacques. It is my understanding that he has quite a few others that he authored and we will be checking our local library for more. They are exciting and well written books that I would suggest for 4th-9th grade - or older. I enjoyed it!

I love books. Some may say I have a slight addiction to collecting quality books. In our home, when we buy a new book, it's like welcoming a new friend into our home! But how to know if a book is good or "twaddle"?! First off, does it meet the Biblical standard set in Phil 4:8: "whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest,... whatsoever things are of good report, think on these things"?

Here's something else to take into consideration. Martha, over at the BasicallyBeechick yahoo group recently shared the four criteria laid out in "A Thomas Jefferson Education" by Oliver DeMille. She said, "In summary, the categories are (loosely quoted from the book):
Bent - portray evil as good, and good as evil. Avoid these! Ex: Harry Potter series.
Broken - portray accurately evil as evil and good as good, but evil wins. Something is broken, not
right. They are not uplifting but can be transformational in a positive way. Ex: Lord of the Flies, 1984.
Whole - good is good and good wins.
Healing - can be either whole or broken but the reader is significantly improved by reading it.

Susan Lemons over at Homepreschool and Beyond has a nice list of recommended books for specific age groups started.

How do you judge a book? And what are some of your favorites? (Please include age recommendations, too.)