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FOX AND THE MYSTERY LETTER by Alex G. Griffiths We all go through hard times with our friends. This wonderful picture book celebrates the importance of fixing arguments in friendships. Fox lives by himself in the middle of the woods. One day, he receives a mysterious letter that starts him on a hunt to solve a puzzle. The journey takes him to several places that he clearly enjoyed with his best friend, Bear, but Fox doesn't want to think about those times. It makes him remember the very last time they were together - the time they had a fight and went their separate ways. Of course, when Fox gets to the end of his journey and solves the puzzle, there waits Bear. Now, Fox has a choice. Is he going to hold onto his anger and unforgiveness, or will he let it go and have his best friend back? That is a choice we all face at some point in our lives. I really love the illustrations in this book. Griffiths keeps a dark palette, but he lightens the mood by using detailed, cartoon-styled illustrations. They are an absolute delight to spend time examining closely as we follow Fox on his journey.

EVERYONE IN THIS BANK IS A THIEF by Benjamin Stevenson YELLOW LIGHT AGES; 9TH GRADE - COLLEGE The inside jacket of this book asks a question that I think aptly describes this mystery. "What if an Agatha Christie-style murder mystery happened inside Ocean's Eleven?" If you know me, then you know as soon as I saw the words "Agatha Christie," this book was coming home with me! Ernest Cunningham is trying to get banks to loan him money to start up his detective agency business. So far, he has received rejection after rejection, so when a bank reaches out to him, he thinks his reputation for solving tough crimes is finally paying off. Imagine his shock when that's not the case. Instead, the bank has a crime of its own that it desperately needs solved without the involvement of law enforcement. The vault is locked and the manager who controls the code has disappeared. No one can get to the money inside which is kind of a big deal if you're a bank! While swallowing the disappointment of not getting a loan and deciding if he will take the case, the bank is robbed, and everyone is taken hostage. This robber isn't there for wads of money. He makes a strange request that doesn't make any sense in light of the circumstances. Ernest isn't going anywhere until he solves what's really going on. The deeper he digs, the more he uncovers including every one of the hostages at the bank is a thief of one kind or another. The question is, which one is responsible for the vault and missing manager? While solving that, he may just figure out what this robbery is all about as well! The concept of this book is an amazing one, and there are a lot of great elements to it including fantastic twists and turns that are impossible to see coming! What some readers will get hung up on, myself included, is the fact that Ernest Cunningham is narrating this book, and he is a wordy man! I found myself wishing he would move on sometimes and not get hung up in the wordy, descriptive weeds! Everyone in this Bank is a Thief is Book 4 in the Ernest Cunningham series, but it is not necessary to read the other 3 before this one. I didn't! There are a couple of references to past information, but nothing that keeps you from understanding what's going on in this story. HEADS UP - There is a smattering of language including two f-bombs.

THE END by Mark Hitchcock The topic of Revelation and the End Times is a big one right now. Definitely, the unrest in the Middle East continues to drive a lot of the discussion in this area. Mark Hitchcock takes a comprehensive look at what Revelation lays out for the end times. At 467 pages, The End is not a book for the fainthearted! However, the book is written in a manner that the "average" person can read and understand. Besides going through and offering explanation of what Revelation describes, one of the goals of The End is to lay side-by-side the views of the pre-millennialist, the post millennialist, and the amillennialist and compare them to Biblical scripture. Mark Hitchcock is a pre-millennialist, and I'll just say upfront, he makes a very convincing argument. If you pick this book up, prepare to dig in deep! A sampling of chapter titles from the book are as follows: Key Prophetic Passages, What to Look for: Discerning the Signs of the Times, Five Main Views of the Timing of the Rapture, The Campaign of Armageddon, and many, many more.

THEO OF GOLDEN by Allen Levi This week we've hit a bit of a breakthrough with Theo and his story. We begin to understand some of the meaning behind Theo's routine. We definitely have a long way to go in understanding the complexity of Theo's character and answering the "why' question to what exactly he's doing, but the door has been cracked open to us. CHAPTER 16 There are two main things we learn about Theo in this chapter: he can see past the veneer that most people wear on the outside to the real person underneath, and he has a bit of a humorous side. I have to confess that Tony really nailed it for me in this chapter. I had considered the possibility of the mafia for Theo. I may have breathed a "thank you" to Allen Levi for including that in the conversation between Theo and Tony. Isn't it interesting that Tony is trying to gather info on Theo, but Theo dodges it and collects info on Tony? I really have to hand it to Theo with his ability to put people at ease and harvest what he's looking for. A conversation about coffee reveals so much about Tony! Coffee! Theo is absolutely brilliant. Note that's it's not just portraits that are connecting Theo to people. Even though Tony has a portrait hanging in the coffee shop, that exchange has not happened between them, yet, Look at how Theo works his way into Tony's, Mr. Ponder's, and Shep's. lives without a portrait to help. Did you notice what we learn about Tony? He is a veteran of Vietnam (which he doesn't talk about) and brilliant in his real estate choice. But what does he have in that building he owns? A bookshop on level one, marriage counseling on level two, and an art studio on the third - a place for people to hang out together, a place for healing, and a place that adds beauty to the world. I think his place is more than just a brilliant real estate venture. He has invested in community and healing. He also jokingly mentions to Shep that he can't trust Theo. Coming from a "Tony," a traditional mafia name itself, I'm asking myself if he has personal knowledge, Is this something to add to Mrs. Gidley's distrust? CHAPTER 17 This awful chapter - this is where we get the glimpse of who Theo is. We learn why he likes to live close to water and why he loves sunsets. As I began reading this chapter before it got into the accident, I was telling myself that everyone needs a place where they personally are refilled from pouring out so much of themselves on others. Theo becomes even real-er to us by Levi acknowledging that. What I didn't expect was the reason why the river, bench, and sunset are so sacred. He has a punctual meeting every night with a 10-year-old girl who never ages - Tita, his precious daughter. It is now confirmed that Theo moved in very high circles both professionally and socially. We have some hints about what he did, but it isn't completely told to us. It is interesting that so many times what we strive for as human beings, that we deem as success, is so empty. Theo began moving away from the society picture while his wife embraced it. He found something worthwhile to pursue instead (his daughter) while his wife struggled to fill the hole inside. I'm sure all of us had the same sinking feeling when the book tells us about her struggle with alcohol. We knew what was coming next. It's hard to imagine the man that we are becoming so attached to shattered, but he was. Purpose ceased to exist. Everything worthwhile and joyful ended with the last heartbeat of his daughter. As a parent I found this part so emotional to read. I struggle to imagine. I don't want to imagine, I find myself understanding Theo, because I am a walker when I need to sort things out as well. He began to walk as a means of escape from the prison of his new unwanted reality. He had to wrestle through guilt when beginning to notice joy and beauty again. While the book doesn't give us a salvation story, it does point to a moment when "Heaven took control of his soul." - a joyous murmuration of birds, a sunset more glorious than a Monet painting, the ushering in of the night, but the night is pierced by the light of a single bright star.. Theo begins to heal. CHAPTER 18 What do we learn about Theo in this chapter? He was a former client of Mr. Ponder's father which is why Mr. Ponder took him on. Mrs. Gidley still finds him very suspicious, and I am pretty certain that armed with this new information she's going to be digging into the files with all she's worth to find out answers. CHAPTER 19 What do we learn about Theo in this chapter? We understand his desire to help Lamisha and her dad after learning his story. It further ups our respect for him for wanting to remain anonymous. It would have been perfectly understandable and reasonable for Theo to just have the desire to help them out of the goodness of his heart, but after hearing the story of his past with the loss of his daughter that quadruples the emotional connection for us. CHAPTER 20 I am finding Theo's reaction to meeting Asher interesting. Why is he nervous and stumbling for his words? That's not his typical response to people. He typically puts them at ease, and he really needs someone here to put him at ease. I am looking forward to hopefully learning more as to why this is when they meet together at Asher's house. Again, I am asking myself as we end the chapter what Theo's "plan" is that he keeps referring to?

CULTURE & CRAFT: AN ENRICHMENT EXPERIENCE Volume 1 by Jeannie Fulbright I do not receive any compensation for this review. I am purely a homeschool mom sharing curriculum that I consider to be a valuable asset to homeschoolers. Today, I thought I'd share a book that I am really looking forward to incorporating into our homeschool this year. Jeannie Fulbright is a name that many people in the homeschool world will recognize. I originally discovered her work many years ago through Apologia, the well known science company. She authored several of the elementary textbooks under Dr. Wile. Over the past few years, she has begun publishing homeschool curriculum under her own brand, Jeannie Fulbright Press. Culture & Craft is one of her recent editions. Jeannie's books definitely follow the much loved Charlotte Mason method. Culture & Craft is a beautiful collection of the arts and nature-styled activities for students. It allows moms to breathe a huge sigh of relief upon opening and finding that a gorgeous collection of artwork, hymns, poems, crafts, recipes and more are organized and ready for her to share with very little preparation. (The crafts and recipes do require some gathering of supplies.) Great works await for the enjoyment and consideration of her children and teens. Yes, I absolutely would use this with teenagers! In fact, I cannot wait to use this book in our homeschool opening time each morning, and I have teenagers! I think it will be a great launching off pad to get the creative juices flowing for the day. Included below are a couple pictures that show partial pages within the book. To see more examples or to order, go to Jeannie Fulbright's website.

HALF A CHANCE by Cynthia Lord GREEN LIGHT AGES: 5TH - 8TH GRADE Looking for a great middle grade summer read? I don't mind telling you that I was captivated by this fantastic chapter book. It is so fun when I end up enjoying a book so much more than I anticipated I would! Lucy and her parents have just moved to a cabin on a lake in New Hampshire. They settle in before Lucy's dad takes off for his next assignment as a well-known nature photographer. Lucy loves photography as well, but it seems no matter what she does, she can't take a picture good enough to please her father. Entering a photography competition under another name that her father has been roped into judging, she hopes to find out what he really thinks of her ability. With the help of Nate, a boy from the cabin next door who is spending the summer with his grandmother, Lucy begins to capture the types of photographs she only dreamt of before. - photos that show not only an image, but the heart and emotion behind them. By the time the summer comes to an end, there will be memories made that will last a lifetime. This moving book captures so many emotional topics: the desire of a girl to catch her father's attention, a boy struggling with his grandmother's dementia, and it pairs it alongside the beauty and hardship of nature. I highly recommend this book! HEADS UP - There is a light amount of romance. Over time, Lucy and Nate grow to like each other. The most that happens is their hands touch at one point.

LEADERSHIP NOT BY THE BOOK by David Green with Bill High GREEN LIGHT AGE; UPPER HIGH SCHOOL - ADULT Leadership training is a skill that everyone needs. In Leadership Not By the Book. David Green takes readers into the "kitchen" of Hobby Lobby and shares the "secret sauce" they use to run their billion dollar company. A friend mailed this book to our family. You know it's a real recommendation when it shows up in your mailbox! My interest was definitely piqued, because there is no doubt the Hobby Lobby success story is truly amazing! What I wasn't expecting was for the principles David Green shares to apply to the areas of life outside the business world where I find myself in leadership. (I found myself making mental notes for my homeschool group.) Sometimes, it's easy to get caught up in the "doing" that I forget how to set things up well for overall success. This was personally a great reminder for me in a lot of areas. If you find yourself in a leadership role, and you feel like you could use a little shoring up, I highly recommend this book. Looking at the success of the Hobby Lobby company, I can pretty safely say David Green knows what he's talking about! HOMESCHOOL HELPS - This is great book to hand to a teenager (after you read it) to read for leadership training inside and outside the business world. Once your teen has read through it, sit down and have a discussion about what you learned from the book and listen to what really caught their attention as well. If you plan a few good questions ahead of time, it can definitely be a great time of growth for both of you!

THEO OF GOLDEN by Allen Levi I have to start this post off with a few things that I've been wondering as I get further into the book. The first is, literally, what is Theo doing and why? What is his motive behind the actions he is taking? There is definitely a part of what he is doing that has been thought out in advance, planned. I haven't read ahead at all (yet!). so I don't know anything that is coming up. What I'm about to say is pure speculation on my part, and I may very well be way off. I'm wondering if we're dealing with a man who has made grave mistakes in his life and is now trying to atone for them, or I'm wondering if we're dealing with a man who is looking at a terminal diagnosis or maybe just realizing that he doesn't have long on this earth and is trying to do some "good" in this world before he dies. I can remember my grandfather, as he aged, stopping to talk to young people about Jesus everywhere he went. Knowing he was reaching the end of his life and that time was short, there was very little that mattered to him as much as what lay past this life. Speaking of time, that is something the book has mentioned more than once.. The fact that all of this takes place in the span of a year. I think it's also interesting that Theo's hired "help" to help him complete his job. Again, is he up against a clock that we aren't aware of. Something else that has caught my eye is the title. As I closed the book and thought about the reading for today, the title really jumped out at me - Theo of Golden, but that's just it. Theo isn't really from Golden, is he? I'm thinking of the small town that I'm from. We're a small, rural, farming community, and while we are friendly, sometimes, if you're new in town, it takes a while to "break in." Roots run deep and strong here. With that thought in mind, the title took me a bit off guard. Is he establishing himself so deeply in Golden that he is/will be considered truly of Golden? With that said, did you think about the questions I gave you last week to ponder at the start of each chapter? Let's see what we uncovered this week about our gentle protagonist. Chapter 11 So what did we learn about Theo in this chapter? He needs help accomplishing his goal. He clearly has money easily available to him. It's important to Theo that he write a letter to each portrait subject and meet them in person. He clearly values personal connection. Chapter 12 What did we learn about Theo? It's very clear he's found his purpose in life for this particular season. Are you in a stage where you know your purpose, or do you envy Theo? Don't you just love Mrs. Gidley's response to this whole thing? You've got to think she's been around the block a few times working in Mr. Ponder's office, and she's not happy with what's going on. I am really asking myself "why!" We meet the next 3 portrait recipients in this chapter. Junior becomes a source of information for Theo. Bun is a university student. She comes with her friend, Sara, and we get a future picture that they eventually start a magazine together.. (Sara is a later recipient of a portrait as well.) Frankie Knowles is a 12-year-old boy in a wheelchair. So far, with each person, Theo learns a bit about the person, and he often shares with them what he noticed in their portrait that caused him to choose it. I almost call this a blessing that he speaks over them. One thing I spent some time thinking about in this chapter is the fact that Theo is not the first person to notice and really look at each of these people. Mr. Glissen, the artist, is. He photographed them, and then drew them with detail. I'm wondering if anything will come of that. Chapter 13 What did we learn about Theo? He is bringing healing by what he is doing. We have a break in the story line in this chapter. For a moment, the beautiful setting that we find ourselves in around the fountain is peeled back, and we hear the history of the large oaks. They bear scars of a darker time in the community's history when the trees were used to take lives instead of part of the landscape. We might ask ourselves why this shows up here? I think it's a parallel picture to what Theo is doing with the portraits. He is bringing beauty to the painful pieces of the past of several of these people's lives. One of the trees bears the "Eye of God" that cries continually from what it's seen, but one day everything will be set right. The "Eye of God" is focused on Theo. Chapter 14 What did we learn about Theo in this chapter? He's uncannily aware of his surroundings. Notice that when Kendrick is checking out Theo from the university window, Theo is actually watching him as well. He's also very generous. He blesses a hospitalized little girl with gifts and a cake. Remember that Theo knew Kendrick's story before he met him. He and Shep stood together and looked at the portrait together in the coffee shop at the start of the story, and Shep told him about the loss that happend. I love the words of affirmation that Theo speaks over Kendrick. He tells Kendrick that he is a good father. This man who has lost his significant other (the book doesn't tell us if the woman is his wife or girlfriend) by a car accident, and his 8-year-old daughter is in the hospital recovering. He works as a janitor and then goes and stays in the hospital with his daughter until it's time for his shift. The faithful father. The protector that stands in his post that no one sees, but Theo does. Chapter 15 What do we learn about Theo? To him the world is noisy and full of chaotic, angry sound. When he wakes in the night he loves the peace. He surrenders to happy memories. What an interesting concept to appreciate when you wake up in the night. Most of us mourn the lost hours of restful sleep. This time, though, we are given a bit of a mystery to ponder. A woman sits before the fountain softly singing. A police car drives by and doesn't pay her any attention. Clearly, either they know her or know she's a regular at this spot. I wonder what her story is.

NELLIE'S BIG SPLASH by Cori Doerrfeld. This wonderful picture book preforms three valuable jobs. First, it's a story about a baby sea turtle (hatchling), and really, who can resist a story about such an adorable creature especially since hatching season is right around the corner (August and September)? Second, it's set on the beach, so if your heading out on vacation, it's a great read aloud to consider. Third, and I would add most importantly, it deals with the topic of overcoming fear. The story opens with Nellie, a newly hatched sea turtle, watching all of her sisters and brothers bravely marching off towards the ocean for their first swim. Nellie becomes frightened and overwhelmed by the size and power of the waves that are before her. With every glance and every thing that she tries, it feels more and more impossible to overcome. That is until she realizes that there is only one way home, and that is to give it a go and just jump in the water. That's when the joy of overcoming sets in! HEADS UP - My copy has a typo in it by the part with the seal. Just watch that you get a corrected version.

THE BOYS START THE WAR (Book 1 of 11) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor GREEN LIGHT AGES; READ ALOUD AGES: 2ND - 8TH GRADE READ MYSELF AGES: 4TH - 8TH GRADE I love when someone shares a favorite book that they've enjoyed with me, and this one is fantastic! The Boys Start the War is one of the rarities that is super fun for boys and girls alike! Why? Because we are dealing with the age old stand-offs that typically occur between boys and girls. It's going straight to my SARAH'S FAVORITES BOOKLIST, and I will be continuing on with the series! This book is perfect as a family read aloud or for your child to enjoy on their own. The Boys Start the War takes place in West Virginia against the back drop of a small town on a river. The Hatford brothers: Wally, Jake, Josh, and Peter have just endured the moving away of their best friends, the Benson brothers, who lived next door. Anxious to see who moves in, but relieved to know it's a family with boys, they await their arrival. When the day finally comes, they eagerly hide and watch through binoculars as the car doors open. Imagine the horror when instead of boys spilling out, it's a load of three GIRLS! Forget being friends with a bunch of girls! It's now game on to try and get the new family to move away. The only problem is, these girls aren't a bunch of sissies. Everything the Hatford brothers do, the Malloy sisters come back with a vengeance. This book is hilariously fantastic. It puts off Penderwick vibes in the relationship between the siblings with a large scoop of declared neighborhood war mixed in! HEADS UP - One of the tricks the Hatford boys play on the Malloy sisters includes using a floating Halloween mask in front of their window at night to scare them. If you have a sensitive child, the idea of this might be a bit frightening.

DRAGON MYTHS AND LEGENDS Retold by Samantha Newman. Illustrated by Katarzyna Doszla GREEN LIGHT WITH CAUTION AGES: 3RD - 6TH GRADES Dragon stories are fascinating. I couldn't help but pick this book up and scan the Table of Contents in pure amazement of how many different countries around the world have dragon myths and legends in their culture. It's down right astounding. Personally, I believe that dragons were actually dinosaurs that once roamed the earth which would explain why we see so many stories of these stunning, but typically ferocious, creatures worldwide. Dragon Myths and Legends is a compilation of fifteen stories. The stories span 5 different continents and cover everything from dragons that were destructive and horrible to ones that interceded and saved people. There is no doubt that dragon stories can be very captivating, but there are elements to be aware of with just about all dragon stories. This is true with this collection as well. Dragon Myths and Legends does not play up gruesome details as much as other collections I have read. HEADS UP - DEATH - There is no escaping the fact that dragons in legends and mythology were typically deadly to humans. This book states what happens in the stories without going into lots of detail. Dragon cultural stories sometimes include elements such as a monthly animal or human sacrifices given in lieu of the dragon coming in, destroying a whole town or village, and eating everyone. GODS- Some of the stories do refer to other gods. One Asian story, in particular, tells the story of dragons that stepped in to help humans in need of rain that were being ignored by their god. MAGIC - Where dragons are concerned, you can bet that there is a bit of a magic hovering around. There is a witch in one story. DEMONS - In one story Merlin is mentioned in passing as being the son of a demon.

THEO OF GOLDEN by Allen Levi Okay, before I dive into the chapters for today, I'm going to throw out a couple of questions we need to be asking ourselves each time we start a chapter. The first is one I already mentioned in last week's post, but it's clearly going to continue throughout this book, and that is, "What did we learn about Theo in this chapter?" I've already mentioned the layering affect we were initially seeing to Theo's character in the first five chapters. It hasn't quit. The second question takes the first question into consideration and expands on it. "Who is Theo?" Honestly, I was not expecting a feeling of mystery to creep into this book, but I am feeling it. More about that later. I also have to note that I love the omniscient point of view that we get in this story. Omniscient point of view means that the writer allows us to see the thoughts and feelings of multiple characters instead of "limiting" us to one main one. That is key in this story as we encounter many deep, emotional responses to what Theo is doing. Chapter 6 Start off by asking yourself what you learned about Theo? This chapter we learn about him through the eyes of Minette. He's tan as if he's spent a lot of time outside, he's a "young-old," and he's old-school but not in an offensive way. What did you notice as you read the chapter? I loved the realness of Theo's nervousness in getting ready to meet Minette. I appreciated the diligence of how Derrick and Minnette scan the area around the fountain for Theo in an attempt to ascertain if he is dangerous or not. (I think we all can picture ourselves doing the same thing!) What impacted you the most? What gave you the greatest emotional response in the chapter? Mine was two-fold. The first is that Theo "takes delight" in the presence of Minnette. Don't we all desire that response from someone in our life: to be solely seen in a busy place? The feeling you get when locking eyes with your husband across a crowded room knowing he only has eyes for you or meeting a friend for tea in a bustling coffee shop and seeing them smile as you approach. Seen. Valued. Appreciated. Theo exudes that wherever he goes. The second part that gave me an "ah moment" was the description of the setting around the fountain at the end of the chapter. It's as if we step into a fairy tale. What happens is not typical. There's a "silver mist" and "fairy dust" effect that happens, and we can visualize it. CHAPTER 7 What do we learn about Theo in this chapter? He may have family in the area, He loved a girl in Spain once that had eyes similar to Minnette's. Even though he appears to be very "put together," he lacks a bit of confidence in what he is doing. He chooses Minnette, because she has a "kind and gentle look." One that, hopefully, will offer forgiveness if all of this is a mistake. Man, there is so much to consider in this chapter. First, note the correct evaluation that Theo makes of Minnette based on the portrait and how that lines up with who she reminds him of. This is going to be a bad comparison on my part, but I can't help feeling a bit of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple in this. One of Miss Marple's greatest gifts in her deductions is that the people she encounters remind her of someone from her home in St. Mary Meade. It gives her a bit of insight on their character. Run with that how you want, but it's just something that sticks out to me. We learn the painful truth of Minnette's sadness. She has a father who wants her to go far in a business field. He is a force behind her, pushing her. What's so sad is that even in her adult life she is still trying to meet her father's impossible expectations. Now, one could play devil's advocate and say maybe it's his attempt at fatherly love for her recognizing what she's capable of. Maybe. I tend to feel it's probably rooted in pride within himself, because he fails to see his own daughter - what she's been created to do and what she truly loves in life. In Minnette's case, she wants to be a mother. Let's add another complicated layer to this relationship. Minnette gets pregnant in college by Derrick. Whose plans ultimately were derailed by this unexpected pregnancy? Her father's. She ends up having an abortion to please him, and the sadness compounds in her eyes. Notice the difference between Theo, Derrick, and Minnette's father. We already talked about her father's character. With Theo, MInnette tells him he's been more of a father figure to her in 30 minutes than her father has been her whole life. With Derrick, he sits across the fountain from Theo and Minnette and observes their time together, giving them space as he sees the unusual response this meeting is having on his wife. As Theo presents the portrait to Minnette, he speaks a blessing over her reminding her of who she is and what she is capable of. When the portrait is taken home, it is hung in a place where Minnette sees it everyday and reminds herself of the truths spoken to her. -How ironic that Minnette's father is the artist's brother. -We know that at some point Minnette and Derrick have children, because they are the only ones they share the story of meeting Theo with. CHAPTER 8 This chapter tells us the two factors that Theo uses for choosing the order of the portraits. Note that it's impossible to make a mistake in how he decides to proceed. so here's my question for you. Imagine you have all these portraits in front of you to deliver. Picture different faces from the town that you live in: people from the grocery store that you see weekly in passing, church members that you notice in surrounding pews that you really don't know, you get the drift. What would be your factors for how you would give the portraits out? Would it be based on emotions in eyes, scars evident, wrinkles, youth, etc? CHAPTER 9 What do we notice about Theo in this chapter? I'm going to skip right to the big point at the end of the chapter in answering this question. His plan is working perfectly. What plan is working perfectly? Clearly there is something more going on besides the portraits. Theo is masterful in how he approaches people and puts them at ease. Have you ever see someone like this in motion? I have, and it's amazing! Theo comes to the bookshop looking for a specific type of book - one about the history of Golden. When the bookshop owner, Tony, scoffs a bit at this, Theo humbles himself and puts himself under the recommendation of Tony with the possibility of a discussion about the chosen book. Again, Theo values people by showing their opinion matters to him. He is rewarded for his effort. Tony might be a bit of a brusque guy, but his heart is in the right place. Look at his interaction with Simone and the Penny Loafers. The Penny Loafers hang out at the store without spending money, and Tony is okay with it He gives them a place to congregate. What is Theo's reward from Tony? The building of a friendship and information about Ponder House. CHAPTER 10 What did we learn about Theo in this chapter? We learned that Theo's story is powerful enough to open doors that appear to be locked shut. This chapter had me feeling like I stepped into a John Grisham book with the description of the office and apartment which raised my antenna just a bit. (Maybe I just read too many mysteries!) Notice, again, how Theo is able to control the situation through a humble attitude. Mr. Ponder is not taking clients, and he doesn't rent the apartment upstairs out. What happens by the end of the chapter? Mr. Ponder has taken on a new client and has rented the apartment out! Rabbit Trail for a moment: how fitting is Mr. Ponder's name? It's perfect! I'm pondering what's going on with Mr. Ponder! Both Theo and Mr. Ponder size each other up. Theo imparts some information to Mr. Ponder that we are not privy to. I didn't like that . I want to know what was said. I am channeling my Rachel Lynde busy-bodiness over this! Clearly, whatever was shared was enough of a "wowzer" to change Mr. Ponder's mind. BUT, the secretary isn't fooled. She doesn't like what's going on one bit. Again, this feeling of mystery inserts itself strongly. I hope you are as hooked as I am with this book! I am very curious to see how this one continues to build! I'd love to hear your thoughts and comment! See you next week!