MennoLink Books and Music

Veteran camper Tammerie Spires began her forays into the out-of-doors as an eight- year-old, continued as a teen and young adult, and is still at it with her husband and their two preschoolers.

What keeps her camping--and has enlarged her enthusiasm for it--is discovering that "Camping with kids is laugh-out-loud fun." So is this book.

IF you want to camp but don't know how to start, Spires lays out the plan in bite-sized steps. Each one is clear and good-humored.

IF your kids are little, A Guide to Happy Family Camping will help you get them--and yourself--ready to go.

What to do when you get "there," what to eat, when and where to sleep, and who does what--Spires covers it all as a buoyant, yet experienced friend.

She wraps it all up with an exhaustive directory of Lists to make (Planning, Packing, and Preparing), of magazines and websites to consult, and of U.S. Parks and Wildlife Departments to visit and contact.

Teaching That Transforms outlines a pedagogy that is consciously attentive to God's presence in the world, and that cultivates habits of worship, nurtures living traditions, and promotes caring and compassionate relationships.

Roth offers an open, lively, vigorous, and honest conversation about the nature of our Christian witness to the world and about the future of the church.

Copyright 2011 Herald Press

But that's not the situation today. "Families are so busy, and have such hectic schedules, that having a meal together five or more times a week just doesn't happen very often," Davis notes-despite research showing that children who eat with their families do better in school, are at lower risk for substance abuse, and more socially adjusted.

Concern about what's happening to families today led her to write Whatever Happened to Dinner? Recipes and Reflections for Family Mealtime. Through the book-which is part cookbook, part reflection on the changing role of dinner in our culture and part celebration of family and community-Davis invites people to eat together, even as she acknowledges the challenges of living in a culture that often pulls us apart.

Copyright 2010 Herald Press

Big business makes big money selling a phony notion of what we want and need as sexual people. Ads insist that certain products will make us more sexually appealing. But what we really want and need is true intimacyÑthe knowledge that we matter to another person and are loved for who we are. Using the metaphor of sexuality as a good gift from God, this second edition offers Christians resources for living a sexually healthy and fulfilling life.

The editor presents valuable material she and several colleagues have developed on sexuality from Christian perspectives.

Copyright 2010 Herald Press

Drawing on her own experience, Donoghue reaches out to all who parent alone and invites them to build with her a community of mutual encouragement and trust in God.

A unique personal flavor, Meditations for Single Moms will inspire single parents as well as those who support them.

Don't do anything until you've read A Guide to Happy Family Gardening. It is clear it is precise. It is hard- won wisdom from a mom who's been seven years in the adventure. You can begin anytime of the year. Spires starts with the "Dreaming Season" and then steps her readers through "The Digging Season," "The Planting Season," "The Tending Season," "The Harvesting Season," and finally "The Sleeping Season." Along with more than 100 tips are family gardening stories; a few "straight-from-the-garden" recipes; lists of magazines, catalogs, and web sites offering more specific information; and detailed drawings for building a composting bin, a cold frame, and more. Whether you begin with an amaryllis bulb, a "garden-in-a-box," or a terraced plot, here are clear and specific steps for succeeding and keeping everyone in a pleasant mood.

Readers will find practical ideas for managing family time, priorities, prayer, electronic media, and more to pass on the torch of faith.

Parents can feel overwhelmed by the responsibility of teaching their children so they will choose Christ's way for life. Here they will sense the privilege, joy, and confidence God will surely give them.

Whether you're in a hurry or have all afternoon to give, whether your child is new to cooking, or experienced with stirring and chopping, this collection has a recipe that suits your situation (How about "Green Noodles," "Very Chocolate Cherry Cake," "Bruschetta," or "Bibb 'n' Orange Salad"?).

Author Tammerie Spires is as full of good advice and good humor as she is in her other two books--A Guide to Happy Family Camping and A Guide to Happy Family Gardening.

Copyright 2000.