Friday Five Freebies~ Kindle Books

It has been a busy month and a half with school starting back up and we had loads of fun entering things in the fair a couple of weeks ago. I've also discovered planning the school year for a 7th grader is a lot different than when I was planning around my daughter's 4th grade online curriculum. I have had a bit of a writer’s block the last couple of months so I had an idea since I LOVE books. Until the end of October and maybe later, I am going to come up with a free Kindle list of children’s books, plus some mama books for Fridays. I will also try and add a couple books that I have read that are inexpensive. I haven’t read all of these books but I’m pretty picky about books and the ones I will list are ones that either I would allow my child to read or that I would consider reading myself. (with the exception of the high school ones’ as my children are not to the maturity level of some I may suggest) Use your discretion on what looks appropriate for your own child.

Early Elementary Books

1. Rikki-Tikki-Tavi

2. Search for the Pirate's Treasure

3. Fairy Tales Every Child Should Know

4. A Hound for Hannah (Hannah's Island) This book is only free if you have Kindle Unlimited. I have actually read this book awhile back and if you would like to read the review here is the link at Homeschoolliterature.com. The plus with this book is that the main character is even a homeschooler!

5. A Tale of Four Birds and Their Quest for Food and Happiness This one is also only available through Kindle Unlimited but looks super cute!

Middle School Books

1. The Secret Garden

2. NO EXIT (The Apple Grove Gang Book 1)

3. Aster Wood and the Lost Maps of Almara (Book 1)

4. Deity Chronicles: Origins (The Deity Chronicles Book 1)

5. The Perpetual Papers of the Pack of Pets (Stanley & Katrina Book 1) This one is only free through Amazon Prime. (and no, I do not work for Amazon this is just a fun list as I LOVE books) I actually downloaded this one to our Kindle today and briefly looked through it. hILaRiOuS, but keep in mind I have an odd sense of humor.

High School Books

This category gave me the most challenge. My daughter is still just in the middle school range, yet nevertheless a teen who reads through books fervently. She honestly DEVOURS books and she has since she was 5. She would much rather read than play on the computer or Xbox. Her strength is reading and she could read high school/college level books and comprehend a lot but her maturity level is not ready for much of it. Plus there is a lot of junk literature out there not worthy of the time spent reading it. I found a lot of the free Kindle books are junk literature for this age range...yet I’m sure I read a bit of this genre of books myself at a bit older age. I did have a recent mishap of a book she read that I thought would be okay when she brought it home. I picked it up after she was done and my jaw dropped. It was a classic but if I completely knew what the content was I would have NEVER let her read it at 13. 16? maybe. I did ask her a few questions about it later and I do not think she really got some of the content either. Good conversation for later I guess. My advice, for what it’s worth...make sure what your child is reading!

1. Little Women

2. Divergent: The Ultimate Interactive Quiz Book (Divergent Series Quiz Books 1) This is not the Divergent book but a Quiz book for kids that have read the book.

3. Keeper of Reign: Young Adult/ Middle Grade Adventure Fantasy (Reign Fantasy Book 1)

4. Zero (The Nephilim Chronicles Book 1)

5. The Key (The True Reign Series Book 1)

Mama Books

Moms need to take time for themselves too and reading is such a fun escape. I like to get a good book and hide in the bathtub... shhhh! Here is a list of books that I have not read yet but they definitely caught my interest!

1. Les Misérables (I can't believe that I have never read this one!)

2. Paradise Valley (The Daughters of Caleb Bender Book #1) I think this one is already on my Kindle waiting!

3. Cold A Long Time: An Alpine Mystery

4. A Time for Every Purpose Under Heaven (One Woman's Trip to Africa - My Story)

5. Nicola Tesla: Imagination and the Man That Invented the 20th Century.

I hope you enjoy some of the books on this list and I look forward to searching for more to add next Friday so check back.

 

 

Dear Waitress Who Growled At My Special Needs Son

Yesterday we had an unfortunate situation at a local restaurant that left us extremely upset. Here is my response to the rude behavior we witnessed. I did leave out the name of the person. ETA- I am going to name the restaurant as I would hate for someone to think it was a different place. Fortune Asian is the name of the restaurant this happened at. 

Dear Waitress Who Growled At My Son,

As you know we have been in the restaurant where you work many times over the last year or more. We enjoy the food and it is near our home, but with each time we have gone you have made it more obvious how much you do not like for us to choose your restaurant to dine in.

At first I thought you were having a bad day, very quiet, or maybe just had a lot going on in your life that would make you look with dread each time you seated us at a table. Yes, I did notice the eyerolls you would give us when we ordered too. Looking back I wonder what kept us going back except that the food was very consistently good and reasonably priced. I was a waitress years ago and I wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt which is why we kept returning. Yet, I still always hoped that someone else would wait on our table and every once in awhile someone else would. They were always courteous, polite, and made us feel welcome.

It has been over a month since we have dined there and we decided to return because our son wanted to go there. The look on your face when you saw us come in the door should have been enough. Yes, I noticed. My husband went to the restroom and my son tried to strike up a conversation with you. I heard it. You growled at him, gave him and I the stink eye and walked off. Initially I thought I was hearing things as why would an adult “growl”. I asked my daughter and she said that yes, you growled at her brother.

Once my husband returned to the table and I briefly explained your rudeness he agreed we should leave. On the way out the door I told you, “We will never come back here.” Your response? You smiled, shook your head and said, “okay”.

After talking with a couple of friends I still want to give you the benefit of the doubt as maybe you did not realize my son has special needs. Despite the fact that my son has always been polite and well behaved in your restaurant he does talk a lot. A LOT. He also asks a lot of questions and at times they are pretty off the wall. The question he asked you was not offensive and it wasn’t even really rude...it was just off the wall. He asked you if the other man working there was your son.

I know for a fact from other times dining there that your children often work there with you. He was not trying to be rude he was trying to strike up a conversation and he knew the one time he asked if the two children that were there were yours...you actually spoke to him.

I will be the first to say that my son can be challenging to be around. Maybe you should know though that he has autism and that he also has a disability called Prader-Willi Syndrome. Without going into too many unnecessary details a few of the ways these two challenges affect my son is with excessive talking, being socially appropriate, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and impulse control. (those are just a few of the many challenges he has to deal with daily, just a drop in the bucket) He tries so hard...and he has come a long way in his 14+ years.

One way that we try and teach our son is by bringing him out in the community and helping him learn how to act appropriately, and what is socially acceptable around people. With all honesty I can say he has never been a bother at the restaurant you work at except with sometimes being a little too loud and obviously by annoying you somehow.

I’ve explained my son’s challenges with his sometimes out of the ordinary behavior so you know why he is the way he is. I should also say that in any other restaurant we have been to in Hendersonville (and we have many favorites) he and our family have been treated with nothing but respect. In fact, he becomes a favorite of waitresses and customers, despite his many challenges he is the most charming person you will ever meet. Unfortunately, due to your rudeness (I would love to hear the excuse you have for your rudeness by the way) you will never get to know this. You are truly the one missing out on his pure and sweet awesomeness.

Did my son notice your rudeness? No. He did notice how upset his mama was after leaving your restaurant while I explained to my husband how you behaved. We were not mad at him for what he said but after he overheard what we were talking about the experience and kept saying, “I’m sorry!, I’m sorry!” He had nothing to be sorry for yet he stated to us “sometimes I feel stupid”. This is not something I have heard him say but a couple of times.

I came home and looked at your website to see who the managers or owners of the restaurant you worked at were as I wanted to contact them. What I discovered was that YOU are the owner. Shame on you! Good food does not make a restaurant...it needs equal amounts of kindness and being hospitable and you are sorely missing both of those traits.

I will be reviewing your restaurant at many different places including our blogs and Facebook. My husband and I will be passing this information along to many friends and families with special needs children. To growl at any child in your restaurant much less a child with special needs is pitiful. Fortunately there are many other restaurants in town that welcome our business and welcome our son.

~J~