Synopsis: Harry Potter and his friends Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley begin their sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry amidst the beginnings of a war between Lord Voldemort and the Wizarding world. Harry is destined for a very busy year. Not only is he captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, but he takes private lessons from Professor Dumbledore. Harry comes into possession of a Potions textbook that is inscribed with the name "Half Blood Prince." Harry, Ron, and Hermione each fall in love during the school year, adding a bit of romance to this story. The story ends with the death of someone important, which only reinforces Harry's determination to destroy Lord Voldemort.

Messages: We need our friends. You should never underestimate the power of love. Good will win over evil.

Guide's Opinion: Each Harry Potter increases in reading level difficulty and the maturity level of the content increases with the maturity level of the characters. Thus, the content of this book is for a slightly more mature audience than the first, with a bit of teen-aged romance thrown in.

Suggested Ages: 12 and Up

Character Traits		Behaviors
Self-Discipline:		Violence:
Compassion:		Language:
Responsibility:		Nudity:
Friendship:		Sexual:
Work:		Drugs/Alcohol:
Courage:		Scary:
Perseverance:		Bad Behavior:
Honesty:
Loyalty:
Faith:

Al Capone Does My Shirts

By Gennifer Choldenko

Synopsis: Set in the 1930s, this book features Moose, who has the enormous responsibility of taking care of his autistic sister, Natalie. Further, their family lives on Alcatraz Island, which affects Moose's life in many ways: he has an unusual set of friends, he can't play like normal kids, he has to be more mature, and so on. His handling of his life circumstances, as well as his concern for Natalie, makes a beautiful story.

Messages: Have great compassion for people different than yourself. Children can sometimes do things better than grown-ups. Circumstances can force you to rise to a higher maturity level. Bending the rules for a good cause is okay as long as no one is hurt by it. Don't give up. Honesty is always important.

Guide's Opinion: Great quote from the book: "How do we know for certain this is going to work out?" Moose asks. Dad says. "Nobody knows how things will work out. That's why they go ahead and play the game. You give it your all and sometimes amazing things happen. It's hardly ever what you expect."

Suggested Ages: 11 to 17. Adults will enjoy it also.

Character Traits		Behaviors
Self-Discipline:		Violence:
Compassion:		Language:
Responsibility:		Nudity:
Friendship:		Sexual:
Work:		Drugs/Alcohol:
Courage:		Scary:
Perseverance:		Bad Behavior:
Honesty:
Loyalty:
Faith:

Meet the Guides

Still in the Saddle

Kim Davis loves horses, dogs, and reading

Whether Kim Davis is watching Zipper, her 32-year-old quarter horse, running toward the stable at sunset, or editing the newsletter for the Mountain Stream Saddle Club in Jefferson, Ga., her heart is never far from the menagerie of animals that have been so central to her family life. Kim's husband, Phillip, was the designated driver when they hauled their horse trailer to shows, where her daughter entered barrel racing events and Kim won ribbons for showing the now-retired Zipper. Today, Kim and Phillip tend to their two dogs, three horses, and one barn cat, while their now-married daughter, Meghan, completes her senior year of veterinary school.

Kim's affinity for animals extends beyond the domesticated variety. "I love bird watching," she says. "I have bird feeders everywhere, and binoculars on my front porch." When she's not in the saddle or bird watching, Kim can be found in the garden. She not only has a flourishing vegetable garden, but, she says, "I have wildflowers everywhere. My husband calls them 'weed beds.'"

Continuing in her mother's footsteps, Kim chose teaching as a profession, and, after earning her Master's of Education, has been at it for over 30 years. She currently teaches language arts to sixth graders who score below average on academic testing, often because of attendance and family problems. Kim says that her greatest reward comes when a child understands that he or she can achieve scholastically. "I see their test scores go up and see how proud they are of their scores and their class work. They really need that boost of self-esteem."

Kim views a love of reading as crucial to academic achievement. "Reading has always been my focus. It is the key to education — the number one thing. If a child doesn't read well and enjoy reading, he's not going to do well in school."

Reading is also a personal passion for Kim, who was anxiously awaiting the impending release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince while being interviewed for this article. Her tastes in reading run to mysteries, with Agatha Christie being a favorite, as well as Lilian Jackson Braun's The Cat Who... series and Elizabeth Peters' series featuring Egyptologist Amelia Peabody Emerson.

When she's not teaching, reading, or writing reviews for Discovery Journey, Kim is content to tend to her family and watch the barn cat share a stall with Zipper.

Home School Haven

Discovery Journey provides great resources for home schooling

When it comes to home schooling, parents need all of the resources they can muster. Designing curricula, scheduling field trips, and tailoring lesson plans to children in different grade levels can be challenging. Discovery Journey gives home school parents an extra edge by providing synopses of books that can be incorporated into lesson plans. According to Shauna Smith Duty, a Discovery Journey guide from Dallas who home schools her ten- and eleven-year-old children, "We do a lot of unit studies, and Discovery Journey helps me look for books on certain subjects to enrich the curriculum I teach."

Smith Duty will also utilize Discovery Journey resources in the book club she has volunteered to host for her city's home school groups. "Choosing books from Discovery Journey will let me know which books are good for girls and for boys, and will guide me in choosing books that cover subject matter that's not sensitive," she says. "The home schooling community is very diverse, and is careful about where and when they teach their subjects."

Statistics back up Smith Duty's observation of the diversity of home schoolers. According to the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), there were 1.1 million home-schooled students in the U.S. in 2003. This figure represents 2.2 percent of the school-age population, a sharp increase from the 1.7 percent cited in the NCES 1999 study.

Likewise, the NCES study backs up Smith Duty's observation that "Many home schoolers are interested in education and moral values in their children." The NCES report cites that, "Thirty-one percent of home schoolers had parents who said the most important reason for home schooling was concern about the environment of other schools. Thirty percent said the most important reason was to provide religious or moral instruction." According to Smith Duty, "Because moral values is the topic Discovery Journey reviews on, the site allows parents to select appropriate books and talk to their children about them without having to read the whole book."

Smith Duty views home schooling as a way to make sure kids learn family values while they're learning about various academic subjects. "Discovery Journey can help me because other parents have already read the books. It prepares me to prepare my children for the subject matter. I'm using it, not to tell them what they can't read, but to know what's in a book so that I can talk to them about it."

She also says that Discovery Journey's activities are a wonderful resource for home school parents. "Field trip ideas, learning ideas, arts and crafts, and experiments become part of school instead of part of play. Home school parents are looking for fun ways, creative ways to teach their children. Discovery Journey hits the nail on the head and provides exactly what works for home schoolers."

Smith Duty acknowledges that some home school parents might be hesitant to use Discovery Journey as a resource. "Home schoolers are protective, and might worry about whether or not to trust the guides." But, she says, "A parent could read a book themselves, look at the guide's responses, and see that they really do pinpoint everything. Then that trust will grow, and they'll look at Discovery Journey as a trusted resource."

Coming Next Month: Discovery Journey — A Resource for Teachers and Public School Parents

The Wedding Planner's Daughter

By Coleen Murtagh Paratore

Synopsis: Twelve-year-old Willafred (Willa) Havisham loves to read, play soccer, and try to find the perfect husband for her mother. Her father died before she was born, and her mother--whom she calls Stella--lost more than a husband. She lost her ability to see and show love. Every few years, Stella transplants her wedding planning business to a different city because Willa tries to hook her up with a new husband. When the two settle in Bramble, Cape Cod, where Stella's mother, lives, Willa is surrounded by new friends. She sets her sights on Sam Gracemore, her English teacher and next-door neighbor, as a potential father. She is elated when Sam and Stella fall for each other. Then, Willa inadvertently causes a celebrity wedding disaster that ruins Stella's career. The red traveling trunks are packed, and the two relocate once again. Willa finally tells Stella how she feels by explaining, "all that matters is love" in a letter. Stella acknowledges she needs to move past the death of her beloved husband and accept the love others are trying to give her. The two move back to Bramble, Sam and Stella marry, and together they reopen Sam's family's once-famous Bramblebriar Inn.

Messages: Sometimes a broken heart takes a long time to mend. Life is full of disappointments, but friends and love make them bearable. Love brings happiness to the spirit.

Guide's Opinion: Pre-teens will relate and respect Willa, the heroine, because she's a true-to-life good girl. Deep subjects like the death of a parent, falling in love, and remarriage are covered in a lighthearted, positive way. Willa's first kiss (on the cheek), first school dance (where the boys didn't show), and first date (in a group and with chaperones) are presented in the best way a parent could hope for.

Suggested Ages: 9 to 12

Character Traits		Behaviors
Self-Discipline:		Violence:
Compassion:		Language:
Responsibility:		Nudity:
Friendship:		Sexual:
Work:		Drugs/Alcohol:
Courage:		Scary:
Perseverance:		Bad Behavior:
Honesty:
Loyalty:
Faith:

Elena's Serenade

Campbell Geeslin (Illustrator)

Synopsis: Elena wants to be a glassblower like Papa, but Papa says she is too little and that glassblowers are not girls, they are men. Following her older brother's advice, Elena decides to go to Monterrey where the great glassblowers work. She dresses in her brother's clothes, takes one of her father's glassblowing pipes, and sets off. Along the way she helps animals in the desert by sharing music which she plays on her glassblowing pipe. In Monterrey, she impresses the doubtful glassblowers (and herself) by making a beautiful glass star. Everyone in Monterrey admires the stars and they sell very well. One night, Elena plays a different song, and she forms a giant bird with her pipe. Elena rides the bird home. She then fools her father into thinking she is an old man, and she blows a butterfly with her pipe. Her father is impressed. She reveals her identity and continues to work at her father's side.

Messages: Overcoming others' doubt in you. Following your dreams. Finding your special gift.

Guide's Opinion: This was a charming book, magical in its characters and storyline. I am not fond of the fact that Elena struck out on her own across the desert to prove her father wrong. When she returned home, her father did not even notice she had been missing.

Suggested Ages: 4 to 8

Character Traits		Behaviors
Self-Discipline:		Violence:
Compassion:		Language:
Responsibility:		Nudity:
Friendship:		Sexual:
Work:		Drugs/Alcohol:
Courage:		Scary:
Perseverance:		Bad Behavior:
Honesty:
Loyalty:
Faith:

10 Little Rubber Ducks

Eric Carle (Illustrator)

Synopsis: Based on a newspaper article that Eric Carle clipped for story inspiration, "10 Little Rubber Ducks" is the tale of a box of rubber ducks that accidentally fell into the sea. The ducks each traveled their own way and found interesting ocean creatures. The last little rubber duck found a mother duck and her ducklings, and, by nightfall, had found a family with the real ducks. The "squeak" button on the last page will keep kids happy, too.

Messages: Counting, creatures of the ocean, family.

Guide's Opinion: Any picture created by Eric Carle is whimsical and stimulating. The colorful artwork and mixed media he used make illustrations worthy of awards. The story has rhythm and charm that youngsters appreciate. Ending at nightfall, with a new family and siblings for the last rubber duck makes me think "10 Little Rubber Ducks" will be another bedtime classic.

Suggested Ages: 1 to 5

Character Traits		Behaviors
Self-Discipline:		Violence:
Compassion:		Language:
Responsibility:		Nudity:
Friendship:		Sexual:
Work:		Drugs/Alcohol:
Courage:		Scary:
Perseverance:		Bad Behavior:
Honesty:
Loyalty:
Faith:

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Synopsis: Five children win a tour of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory and a lifetime supply of candies and chocolates. The children and their parents see amazing, incredible sights in the factory. Sometimes, the temptation is just too hard to resist. Bad things happen to all the children except Charlie, who is rewarded for his goodness in the end.

Messages: Greed or gluttony, being or acting spoiled, excessive gum chewing, and excessive television viewing and video game playing should be avoided. Good things happen to good people who are deserving. You have to stand up for what is really important to you. You make sacrifices for those you love. You can have the courage to face your past and to heal it. Dreams really can really come true.

Guide's Opinion: This movie, while somewhat a departure from the book, is great. The visual effects and sets are wonderful and many times, quite stunning. Adults may find Johnny Depp's Willy Wonka creepy, but I'm not sure that children will. On the other hand, kids who see this version of the movie will walk away with a different idea of Willy Wonka than that portrayed in the book or the 1971 movie. The movie is funny, visually astounding, and sweet.

Suggested Ages: 7 and Up (Rated PG)