When we took the boat tour with Captain Randy from Captiva Island, he said we’d go all the way to Cayo Costa State Park. Of course, I had no idea where that was. He took us on a very direct route straight north from the marina, stopping only to visit with some dolphins. He was trying to catch low tide for us.
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WINNER ANNOUNCED HERE.

When Jenifer Fox asked me to review her new book, Your Child’s Strengths: Discover Them, Develop Them, Use Them, I thought, “What better book could I review on this blog?”

Jenifer has spent twenty-five years as an educator and throughout that time, she has always been a champion for the underdog. She says, “Where others saw weaknesses in people, I sought out the strengths and was able to find them.”

Her premise in Your Child’s Strengths is that when adults focus on developing and utilizing children’s strengths — rather than trying to fix, or remediate weaknesses — children grow up to be happier, healthier and more productive citizens. And if you’ve been reading this blog for any period of time, you know that I completely agree!

Your Child’s Strengths provides parents, teachers and schools clear and practical direction for building upon children’s strengths. It’s not just a “feel-good story,” or about mere praise and self-esteem building. She writes, “It’s about igniting each child’s individual potential and preparing them for successful, fulfilled lives in school and beyond.”
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You’ll notice a new list on the left column – these are all books I’ve read or on my list to read. I’ll cross them out as I complete them. When you click through on any of these links, I will get a small kickback on any future purchases you make from Amazon, so please click through! All proceeds go to Darla’s BookWorm Wednesday project.

Parenting Preteens with a Purpose

Caribbean

Teaching With Love and Logic

Parenting Preschoolers with a Purpose

Parenting With Love And Logic

Your Child’s Strengths

A Tale of Two Cities

In Their Shoes

We charted a fishing boat near Captiva Island, and our excellent captain, Randy, must also be a dolphin-whisperer because when I pointed out some dolphins I saw in the distance, they came right up behind us and started surfing in the wake. Continue Reading »

Darla has always been an avid reader, but on our recent trip to Sanibel Island, it was remarkable to watch her writing — on the beach, on the porch, on the couch.

Most of the week she spent hours each day penning a story about a mermaid that didn’t know she was a mermaid — she’d been on land with caretakers her whole life, for her protection. By the end of the week, she’d completed some 24 pages. Continue Reading »