June 2004

            Rest Stop is a monthly publication dedicated to encouraging Beyond Five in A Row families. In each issue, you will find reviews and discussion questions for chapter books aimed at ages 8-12 (Chapter Challenges). You will also discover book recommendations for mothers (Mother's Corner), interesting and unique learning activity ideas (Off the Beaten Path), and a short family update from Becky Jane Lambert (Family Notes). From time to time, we may include letters from readers, quotes, and poetry. May you find valuable information and enjoy a moment of rest as you pause to stop along the journey...

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            Chapter Challenges

            This month I'm reviewing an author and a book new-to-me! When I read a delightful new story, it's a bit like discovering buried treasure. Excitement and happiness rolled together in one.

            The book, actually a collection of short stories, is called The Milly-Molly-Mandy Stories, by Joyce Lankester Brisley. The stories, begun as a serial in a small British children's magazine, feature an adorable little girl named Millicent Margaret Amanda. Her parents realize that can't call her by the full name all the time, so her trio is aptly shortened to Milly-Molly-Mandy.

            The world Brisley creates for Milly-Molly-Mandy is decidedly innocent and real and wonderful. Milly-Molly-Mandy lives in a white cottage with a thatched roof, along with her mother, her father, her grandmother, her grandfather, her uncle and her aunt. Her adventures are interesting and always feature her ingenuity or thoughtfulness.

            Food is highly featured in the stories (as it is in any good children's book ). We see Milly-Molly-Mandy and her family enjoying blackberry jelly, baked potatoes, tender golden-brown sugar cakes and more. Milly-Molly-Mandy and her friend Susan enjoy sewing, gardening, exploring and learning new crafts. And throughout each short tale, we are taken to a very real and wonderful village. Milly-Molly-Mandy's town is featured in a lovely illustrated map in the front of the book. My daughter, Lily, and I have enjoyed tracing Milly-Molly-Mandy's steps through the town - finding the blackberry patch where Susan and Milly-Molly-Mandy did not go blackberrying, discovering where Mrs. Hubble's Baker's shop is located, and more.

            These stories are quite British, without being prim. They are sweet, while sparing us a sickening heap of saccharine. And they feature wonderful moral lessons, without being obnoxious, heavy-handed and forceful.

            I highly recommend The Milly-Molly-Mandy Stories to one and all! You can find them at your local library, and they have just recently been republished by KingFisher Modern Classics and are available at bookstores everywhere. The perfect book to enjoy in June!

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            It's good to be sitting still,
            And it's good to be running wild,
            And it's good to be by yourself alone,
            Or with another child

            And whether the child's grown up,
            Or whether the child is small,
            So long as it really is a Child,
            It doesn't matter at all.

            Joyce Lankester Brisley

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            Mother's Corner

            This is the "Mother's Corner" but Father's Day is coming up! What special things, menus, gifts do you have planned to tell that husband in your life that he is a wonderful daddy?

            My husband is working at the station house on Father's Day, but we will be taking him dinner and eating with him there! We wanted to take him something special, so I consulted with my four year old and we decided on this dish. It's grilled (so Daddy can help and he loves to grill!) and it's fresh and spicy. I'll be serving it along side a cool-cumber and onion salad and we'll fresh strawberries and oranges for dessert!

            I thought I would share our Father's Day recipe with you. Perhaps it will appeal to the man in your life too! Have a wonderful day celebrating with your special guy!

            Grilled Korean-Style Steaks with Spicy Cilantro Sauce

            Serves 6

            Ingredients:

            3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons soy sauce
            1/4 cup medium-dry sherry
            3 tablespoons sugar
            1 1/2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
            1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
            1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
            6 (1-inch-thick) boneless beef top loin (strip) steaks, about 3/4 pound each
            3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (including roots and stems)
            1/3 cup vegetable oil
            1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
            1/2 teaspoon minced seeded fresh jalapeno or serrano chile (optional)
            1 (4-inch-long) fresh hot red chile, chopped (optional)

            Stir together 3/4 cup soy sauce, sherry, sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, and red pepper flakes in a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish until sugar is dissolved, then add steaks, turning to coat. Marinate steaks, turning once, 1 hour.

            Prepare grill for cooking.

            Stir together cilantro, vegetable oil, lime juice, remaining 3 tablespoons soy sauce, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic, remaining 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, and chile if using.

            When fire is medium-hot (you can hold your hand 5 inches above rack 3 to 4 seconds), grill steaks on a lightly oiled rack 3 to 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Let steaks stand on a cutting board 5 minutes, then top with some sauce and cut crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick slices. Serve remaining sauce on the side.

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            If a June night could talk,
            it would probably boast it invented romance.

            Bern Williams

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            Family Notes

            Happy June to each of you! It's getting hotter and hotter by the minute! We've been spending much time at the pool and my children, despite the best of sunscreen intentions, have tell-tale tan lines along their shoulders and waistlines. My daughter has been asking for pitchers full of lemonade, saying, "It's summer-time and it's a summer-time drink Mamma!"

            My son, Colby, has learned three new words. "Boo" (blue), "Pease" (please) and "Dung" (Done - meaning, "I'm finished with my food -- please let me out of this chair!") This last new word makes us laugh and cringe whenever he says it.

            I hope your summer is beginning to shape up, with lots of happy out-of-doors days and lemon-laden drinks in your hands. See you next month!

            Blessings and love,
            Becky Jane

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            Letters to the Editor are welcome!

            Please send your questions, comments, or original contributions along with your full name and state to:

            reststop@fiveinarow.com.

            While Becky would love to respond to each of you individually, her schedule prohibits her from doing so. All letters become the property of Five in a Row Publishing and may be edited for clarity and space prior to publication.

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            Have you missed a past issue of Rest Stop or would you just like to reread some of the bits of encouragement Becky has blessed us with in the past? Well all of the past issues of Rest Stop are now available at: http://www.fiveinarow.com/reststop/archive.html

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            ~ ~ ~ ~
            Beyond Five in a Row is a literature-based unit study built around strong, traditional and delightful children's books aimed at ages 8-12. In each unit you will find creative writing lessons, discussion questions, history, geography, human relationships, science, vocabulary, career path studies, internet connections and much, much more. All you'll need to add is daily arithmetic and the trio subjects grammar/spelling/penmanship. Everything else is included. When you begin using Beyond Five in a Row, you embark on a wonderful adventure in education built around the concept that the single most important lesson any child can learn is to "love learning."

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