But first, I need to show you what book Natalie checked out of the school library this week.
It's a Christian romance novel.
It's called "Loving Care," in case you can't make out the title due to all the pastel sweetness on the cover.
The back summary says (and I quote):
After the failure of her marriage many years ago, Christie Hanuman started over and vowed to remain single . . . until her ex-husband walked back into her life. Patrick had also changed, and was now raising his three-year-old son while also caring for his ailing father. Even more amazing to Christie, he had discovered a profound faith in God. Was this transformation a sign from above? And with so much history and love between them, could Christie dig deep into her soul and uncover the truth -- that she'd never stopped loving Patrick . . . and that this was a new chance at happiness?It's sap at its strongest. Worse, Christian sap. (Sorry for the offense. Just goes against everything that is within me.)
Also? Natalie is seven. She's in second grade. Last year at this time, she couldn't read a Dr. Seuss book by herself.
When I pulled the paperback out of her school bag, we had the following conversation.
"Ummmm, Natalie? Is this the book you checked out of the library today?"
"Yes Mom," she said with a bright smile. "It's a chapter book. It's called 'Loving Care.' And I know we should be loving and we should care, so I checked it out."
Hard to argue with that.
Thankfully, the book was set aside immediately, as are most of the books she self-selects at the school library each week. (Last week's selection was a field guide to butterflies.)
As for me? I'll be stepping up my own loving care of Natalie this very month. If it's chapter books she wants, chapter books she will have.
Only none of the ones I'm choosing have pastel covers.
