#like bedtime stories are written as simple morals to read to children

[jojolimons]

that pokemon rejuvenation personality quiz really is accurate, got npcs using my they/them pronouns even tho i chose the boy option

[sassysuitdonut]

Building a Strong Faith Foundation: The Role of a Children’s Bible

In today’s fast-paced world, many parents contemplate ways to instill strong character and moral foundations in their children. The Bible serves as one of the most effective and enduring resources for this purpose. When children engage with the Bible from an early age, they not only learn about God but also acquire essential life skills that shape their worldview and behaviour.

Children are inherently curious and eager to explore new knowledge. Introducing them to biblical principles and stories early on encourages them to become lifelong followers of Christ. They start to understand that their worth and identity are rooted in God, which helps shield them from the confusion and pressures they may encounter.

Importance of Reading Bible in the Early Stage

Children who often read the Bible or listen to Bible stories at home tend to build a strong sense of right and wrong. Stories such as the Good Samaritan and the parable of the prodigal son teach them about kindness, forgiveness, honesty, and helping others. These lessons are useful and can be used in their daily lives. The Bible is more than just a rulebook for being good; it also brings hope and comfort. Life can be tough, even for kids, with issues like peer pressure, family troubles, and school stress. The stories of biblical personalities such as David, Daniel, Ruth, Esther, Joseph, and Job show children how to have faith in God during hard times.

Reading the Bible as a family can be enjoyable and easy. You can read a short storey at bedtime or talk about a memory verse during breakfast. These activities help build strong spiritual connections with your child. The following are a few Bible collections for children from our St Pauls Online Store.

The Catholic Children’s Bible (Good News Translation) (Hardback)

The groundbreaking complete Catholic Children’s Bible from Saint Mary’s Press is back with even more to love! With new stickers and reading plans, it not only inspires but empowers children to read, live, understand, and love the Word of God. The stories of our Catholic faith come alive with vivid, awe-inspiring artwork, larger text, and many more design features that not only enhance comprehension but create enjoyment as well.

International Children’s Bible

This is not just a grown-up Bible presented with pictures, nor is it just a storybook. The ICB is a complete Bible, especially translated from the original texts into simple English that 6–12-year-olds can easily read and understand.

The Action Bible Christmas: 25 Stories about Jesus’ Arrival

This unique, family-friendly Christmas addition to the bestselling Action Bible line tells the story of Jesus’ birth from 25 "eyewitnesses,” such as the young student in the East who first saw the star, Zechariah, the innkeeper, and the dove in the stable rafters and includes fun discussion prompts for great conversations throughout Advent and the holiday season.

The Lion Graphic Bible

An epic comic-book retelling of the Bible from Marvel Comics artist Jeff Anderson, who worked on Transformers and Judge Dredd. Made for ages 12-16. A highly original interpretation of the Bible that is an ideal tool for reaching and engaging young people with the Bible and the message of the Gospel. Illustrated and written in a dynamic graphic-novel style by illustrator Jeff Anderson, best known for his work on the Judge Dredd comic series, and author by Mike Maddox. Remaining true to the story of the Bible, The Lion Graphic Bible is a comprehensive retelling of the Old and New Testament, truly capturing the emotions and characters within the stories and making them engrossing. The Bible is a unique narrative of origins and cosmic powers; of the ageless battle between good and evil; of human potential and human treachery – the very stuff that graphic novels are made of. Successfully published for over 40 years, refreshed with new covers to reach the next generation of readers. Available in hardback and paperback versions.

In a nutshell, a children’s Bible plays a vital role in building a strong faith from a young age. It not only helps children learn about the Bible but also helps them connect with their spirituality in a way that makes sense to them. Through stories, illustrations, and age-appropriate lessons, children can explore essential values such as love, kindness, and honesty, which guide them in understanding the Christian faith and promote their spiritual growth and personal development.

[madaraism]

Hestia - Part V of Himeros

Ἑστία ; Of family, the home, domesticity and the state.

A/N: We’ve reached halfway! Thank you so much for the ongoing love and support for this series – I still can’t believe I’ve made it so far myself. Please read the previous parts here:

Part I – Himeros // Part II – Algea // Part III – Aletheia // Part IV – Apate // Part VI - Achlys

Summary: The damage done in one year can sometimes take ten years to repair, let alone the damage done in four.

Pairing: Liam x Riley

Rating: Mature           Trigger Warning: Sensitive topics regarding pregnancy.

Words: 7023

Inspirations for this chapter – Naked by James Arthur

Tag List: @hhiggs @theroyalweisme @itzmequeenb @alicars @cocomaxley @blackcatkita @trianiasti @viktoriapetit @umccall71 @topsyturvy-dream @kawairinrin @jayjay879 @bobasheebaby @choiceswreckedme @queencatherynerhys @laniquelove @philiasperanza @hopefulmoonobject @mfackenthal @hellospunkiebrewster @boneandfur @gracepedia @jared2612 @jamielea81 @ashtonmore @alwaysmychoices @hamulau @alwaysthebestchoice @pbchoicesobsessed @creatingjana @morriganswife

“…I only need you, Mom.”

Embarrassed, shame and guilt.

It is an odd mixture of emotions, but Riley feels every single one of them so strongly. Her heart clenches and she can feel her insides do countless flips. She is almost unwilling to look at Liam who stands a few steps behind her.

She wants to get angry at Levi, but she can’t bring herself to.

He sits so innocently in front of her, mindlessly reading, flipping the page every now and then, his finger following the words as he reads.

“But Levi,” Riley starts, her voice is small and weak, breaking at the end of his name, “Liam is your dad…”

She feels like she is almost pressuring the boy, to force him to accept the idea of another man coming into their lives so suddenly, so abruptly.

But he is reluctant and refusing; building a brick wall to protect himself from the very idea. His finger pauses on the page again, gaze remaining on the book itself, unmoving, before he finally looks up at Riley after a moment of contemplation.

“…You’re my mommy because you were with me the whole time…” Levi pauses, his eyes moving back down, “If he is my daddy then why wasn’t he with you? Or me?”

Every word that he utters hits her like arrows through her very being.

And Riley questions her every motive, her every action that she has done since the day she decided to leave Cordonia. Her heart is heavy and she can barely feel the air entering and leaving her lungs, her body is shaking and she cannot control the tears rolling down her face as she stares at her son.

Oh, my poor Levi.

My poor, poor Levi.

…What have I done?

She has unknowingly broken Levi by creating their own little bubble in a bustling city. One that was self-maintained, self-sufficient and self-caring. The outside world didn’t matter to her as she took each day as an almost impossible hurdle and she had unknowingly passed that on to him.

The guilt she has is immeasurable. It weighs her down like anchors in the ocean. She struggles to breathe; her voice and sense of self has lost all meaning.

All that she wanted to do was to protect him, to give him a life full of happiness and laughter.

She thought leaving Cordonia would be the right way – the only way to achieve this. Yet here they are, a crying heap of a mess on the cold floor once again.

Was it the wrong choice?

She finds herself hugging his small figure, eyes clenched shut with her mouth open in silent agony. Levi sits there, taking it in as he always does, his arms trying their best to wrap themselves around his sobbing mother.

His words come out automatically.

“It’ll be okay, Mom. It’ll be okay. I’m here…” His voice is quiet and he lets her cry.

Mature.

Brave.

But oh, so burdened.

Liam’s jaw is clenched. His lips are trembling as he watches the scene unravel before his very eyes.

He feels his stiff body come loose, moving on its own to be next to Riley and Levi. He collapses onto his knees as he brings the both of them close into his arms, into his chest. He had wanted to respect their bond as mother and son, to respect his son’s wishes and allow him the time to get used to him as a father, but to see his son…

To see such a small boy who is nearly five, taking on the role as an adult, as the protector, as the nurturer…

His chest is tight.

His arms, strong and toned, hugs them closer, wanting to keep the two of them safe.

His chest is heaving.

His tears reflect the guilt that he feels; the guilt of his absence that caused this to happen, the pain in his body constricting his lungs as his mind counts the number of times that this scene could have possibly played in this very apartment – perhaps even in this very spot.

How broken Riley must be.

How often something like this must’ve happened for their son to be so calm and nurturing in such a traumatic situation.

And Liam thinks of how much of a failure he is as he weeps with them.

Failure as a King who has unknowingly pushed the love of his life away with his titles and rules.

Failure as a ruler who could not produce an heir with his lawful Queen.

Failure as a lover who could not protect their other half from countless scandals and lies and from the cruelness of the world.

Failure as a father who could not provide his son a joyous, caring and nurturing start to life.

And for what?

For duty?

But at what cost?

He recalls the night that he told Riley about Constantine and Regina pushing for an heir.

He recalls himself avoiding her eyes, avoiding the topic of leadership, of ruling, of duty and of abdication.

He would’ve abdicated in a heartbeat if she asked him to.

But he didn’t even give her the chance.

…A child should not be in a position to look after an adult. Ever.

Yet his son. His own son, not even five…

Levi is a child leading a broken adult.

Riley is strong in the face of the world, but behind closed doors she will let the tears slip. She will let the pain envelop her in silent, private moments, no matter how secret, no matter how hidden, it was at the expense of Levi.

Liam’s lips still tremble as he tries to bite back his tears. He had to be strong; if not for himself then for Riley and Levi.

He uses his touches and caresses to soothe Riley – it was one that he realises when he looks down at his son, that Levi does as well. Their hands rub in the shape of an oval along Riley’s back – mimicking, mirroring, in their nature.

Her tears have stopped but her breath still stutters as she tries to calm herself. She swallows, a whimper escaping her lips as she tries to be strong.

As if it is a routine, Riley looks into Levi’s eyes, almost as if she’s searching for something. When she sees his gentle smile, she feels slightly relieved. “I’m sorry, Levi…”

She means to apologise for crying, to apologise for not telling him about Liam, for not being able to give him the best start in life because of how things happened between them. Her apology seemed simple. Small words with such a heavy meaning behind it.

Levi just grins, his voice is sheepish. “My book is all wet, Mom.”

Riley’s smiles as she rubs the clinging tears away from her lashes, “Well, we can go to the library and-”

“I…” Liam starts, his hands now by his side. “I got Levi something.”

His walk over to the dining table is brisk and he comes back with a book which he places it on Levi’s lap.

“…The Little Prince…” Levi reads; he is fluent but requires the aid and guide of his finger. His love for reading has allowed his skills to surpass other children of his age.

Riley nibbles on her lip when she sees the title and she shoots a worried look over to Liam; she hopes – she begs that he wouldn’t tell him just yet. It was too soon, too big of a change.

“It is a fantastic novella, so beautifully written. It tells of different messages and morals for the reader.” Liam is fond of the book, Levi can tell.

The boy is almost shy as his eyes trails over the cover of the book, instead of meeting his father’s face.

He mumbles out of the politeness that his mother has taught him, “Thank you…”

And Liam feels his heart become warm at the small sign of acceptance; a long journey to go, he knows, but a small win paves a way for a bigger victory.

“I can read it to you… at bed time if you would like…?” Liam is hesitant in his words, his voice slow, testing.

But the distance is still there. The awkwardness, the unfamiliarity, the fear of stepping into the unknown…

His son shakes his head ever so slightly – he is quiet again, a hand clutching onto the hem of his mother’s shirt.

Riley smiles gently and tries to reassure Liam, “Maybe later? We’re still working through Matilda at the moment…”

Liam gives a curt nod, his eyes still lingering on Levi. He is so desperate to shower him with love, with his hugs, with his knowledge and countless stories of his life, his life with Riley, his life as a prince, his life in Cordonia and as their King…

So many stories he wants to tell, so many words of wisdom, places to show his son… his kingdom… their kingdom.

He feels the tug at his heart again as Riley picks up Levi to go about their nightly routine in preparation for bedtime. Liam’s eyes follow their every move.

He is so envious of the connection that Riley has with Levi but also so admiring and in awe; the way that Levi rests his head on Riley’s shoulder, eyes drooping; the way Riley would press kisses to his cheek, her fingers running through his hair.

Liam sees how the two of them are so fluent and in tempo with each other, how the world revolves just around them in the bubble that they have created, and he sits there. His presence alone is like a sharp knife or an ever-curious cat, peering and prying, trying to find a way in, to burst that metaphorical bubble.

His brain is muted after the stress of events from today. A blank, quiet void.

He finds himself in front of the bookshelf – books upon books sandwiched together, most of them old and worn out like they have managed to survive through countless of garage sales. Their binders torn but still somehow serving as a solid skeleton for its pages, hanging on by just a thread. There are picture books and there are short novels for children, and Liam wonders just how many of these has Riley read to Levi, and how many of these can Levi read by himself.

He discovers a photo album and he pours himself over each page, drinking thirstily over the lost moments. He sees pictures of his son as a newborn and pictures of him achieving various milestones; clasping his tiny fingers around Riley’s index; holding his own bottle as he drinks while he peers curiously into the camera; his son crawling along the floor to reach a toy; his first steps without any support; him reading so calmly and at peace with himself at what looked like a public library and a recent one, where Levi sits in the middle of bath time bubbles with a displeased frown on his face.

Liam is silent, losing himself in a series of thoughts that are less than coherent. His eyes are unblinking but he knows he is crying.

And he is so unbelievably sad.

Sad at how Riley took on herself this entire journey for the sake of protecting him when it should be him protecting her and their son.

Sad at how he will never be able to rewind to retrieve and witness these moments as if he was there. Never to share laughter and pride at the things Levi has said or has done.

Sad at how his role as King has chained him into doing something that he would regret for the rest of his life, tormenting him each waking, breathing moment. Knives in his heart when he would remember Madeleine and Regina breathing down his neck to remind him of his duty to his country.

And the guilt.

Oh, the guilt.

“…I took those with the hope that if you ever found out about Levi, or Levi ever asks about you when he is older… that you would want to know everything about him.” Riley speaks from behind him, her voice quiet and gentle.

Levi must be asleep already.

He turns to look at her, a sombre expression on his face.

He places the album down and steps in, his hands on either side of her face as he presses his lips to hers.

He isn’t quite sure how to express what he feels in words, so he tries to translate his thoughts through his kiss.

Liam’s lips are slow against Riley’s. So soft and so gentle, tenderly moving against hers whilst his brows furrow in mixed sadness and frustration. His thumb, sweeping across her cheek repeatedly. His heart is heavy and so full of guilt, he feels almost undeserving to be kissing her.

Undeserving to have missed her presence, to have her body against his and to have her kissing him back.

It is an innocent, intimate moment.

His breath is shaking when he pulls away. His body shudders against her touch and he pulls her closer into his arms to steady himself.

Liam’s eyes are half-lidded and laced with tears. His eyes are full of sadness, remorse and a strong sense of guilt. When he speaks, his voice is broken.

“Riley, I… I apologise that I was not a good enough King to protect you.” He swallows, pausing, thinking. “I apologise that I could not have been a better father for Levi. That I wasn’t there to be with you every second of the way for the past few years.”

She wants to speak, but he stops her.

In every single way, he is still hurt from her words earlier when they were in Central Park.

But truth never promised to come sugar-coated. It never promised it wouldn’t hurt to hear.

He is still hurt and angry for missing out on Riley’s pregnancy and Levi’s upbringing, but he understands her reasons for leaving Cordonia, as upsetting and difficult it may have been for the both of them.

His voice lowers even further, eyes now focusing on anywhere but her own, “And I’m sorry… for what happened with Tariq, with Madeleine… Regina and my father’s expectations… I’m so sorry for not being able to do anything and for putting you in such a position, my love…”

He feels himself break before her. His nostrils flare and his jaw is squared as he forces his eyes to remain open, letting the tears blur his vision.

And she feels herself break at his words. Her hand is against his own cheek, mirroring his own. Her fingers caress his peppered stubble and her thumb reaches up to wipe away fleeing tears.

“I never once blamed you, Liam. You are king, but you are not God.” Riley forces him to meet her gaze, and the regret that she sees in his eyes makes her weep for him.

“We were put in an uncompromising situation that we both hated and yes, it was hell. Yes, things aren’t how we would like it to be, but I never, ever, once blamed you. We can’t help that shit happens but I never blamed you and I never stopped loving you, Liam.”

A broken smile; but she can see her words mending him slowly.

She treasures his presence around her and the feeling of his lips meeting her forehead. His voice is soft and she smiles at the warmth of his words.

“…I never stopped loving you too, Riley Brooks.”

-

Over the next few days, they enjoy and relish in the company of each other, but they are cautious and slow at the freedom presented.

Their familiarity was of hushed, heated and stolen moments, but now their lives is at their own liberty and choice.

The moments they spend on Riley’s uncomfortable couch is civil as they reminisce over the past years with wine. With the topic of a secret son and attempts to reproduce an heir off their shoulders, they explore other conversational topics.

They discuss of their current relationship in each other’s lives and where they stand with each other now that Madeleine is out of the picture.

And Liam shares his hopes of Levi accepting his role as crown prince; a future that they share together as a happy and loving family, one where Riley is able to stand by his side in public, hand in hand, to be able to share loving glances at each other without secrecy, for her to stand by his side and rule together as Cordonia’s King and Queen.

He shares how Levi’s role in Cordonia will provide stability in his country, and while it may seem so unbelievably unreal at the moment, it can be so easily achieved if Riley were to leave with him back to Cordonia with Levi.

It seems almost like a farfetched utopian dream for Riley.

So simple, so easy, yet so unrealistic.

She has grown since the time she worked at the bar as the server for Liam’s then-bachelor party.

The years of endless trials and hardship has hardened her, the scars that she carries in her heart, the dirt in her name and Levi’s very presence and upbringing a repercussion of her childish naïvety back in the day, in a time where she believed she was stuck in some dead-end job.

She still was, of course.

Job after job, shift after shift, but Levi’s presence and future gave her the power to fight, to endure and as something to persevere for.

Riley shares with him these worries that serve as a reason for her not wanting to return to Cordonia. His country may need the stability, but so did she. She did not suffer for the past five years of her life and all of Levi’s four to be swept off by some sugar-coated words of a prince or some noble again, she decides.

She tells him that for the time being, she wants to keep their relationship with a sense of normality. She tells him that she will still be attending her jobs for the time being as a form of safety net in case anything happens.

She cannot be Queen whilst Tariq is still unwilling to admit to his crimes, she reasons, and she is doubtful and unconvinced of her ability to rule the country that Liam so loves.

Riley had once thought she was capable of being Queen, but when Levi was born and she sees the complications of it all, the difficulties, the rumours, the lies and the endless mind games for political advancement… she questions if she is proficient, if she is skilled enough and if she would ever be ready to face it all again – especially when her predecessor was Madeleine, a well-bred, natural Queen.

Riley has hardened with the reality of her life but also broken from the terrors of it all; it was something that she had accepted when she became his mistress, when she fell pregnant with his child, when she decided to leave Cordonia.

So, she had made a promise to herself when Levi was born.

She promised herself that she would not return on some whim, on some love-sick spell that Liam could so easily cast on her.

That she would not leave the safety of her small apartment in New York unless Levi himself knew what was going on, knew clearly who he was and what it meant to be a future ruler.

That she would not leave her safe haven of America for the ruthless battlefield of political drama in Cordonia unless Levi wanted to.

Liam, despite being saddened by the conditions that Riley draws, is understanding of where she comes from. He reassures her time and time again that she would always be a great Queen – she has proven herself to be more than worthy and capable countless times. He reassures her that Bastien will handle her situation with Tariq, and he reassures her that he will love and care for both her and Levi.

He is so desperate for his wish of the three of them being together, in Cordonia. For the three of them to admire the beauty that is his home and country, to love Cordonia like how he does and to understand the impact they could have on his country and the many lives within.

But Liam is also understanding and reasonable. He tells Riley that he will lengthen his stay in New York City for just a while longer. He tells her that he will deal with Cordonia by having his paperwork sent over in almost secrecy, for the sake of Levi and Riley. He promises to her that his priorities first and foremost are as a father to Levi, to bond with him and look after him while Riley worked.

Their talks, while genuine and serious can end up being such distractions. Murmurs of ‘I love you’s and ‘I missed you’s in between heated kisses, their touches trailing fire on each other’s skin as they would hold each other desperately on the couch like a pair of love-sick teenagers.

But all of this was met with unsatisfying cold showers.

The chemistry was there, the want was there, the need was there, but Riley would always excuse herself before anything got too serious or crossed any lines.

She doesn’t tell him, but the churn of almost insoluble disgust, disappointment and betrayal still remains in her body when his hands would ever stray too far south.

The thought of him with Madeleine made her scrub herself down in the shower until her skin is bright red.

Much to Levi’s delight and Liam’s understandable dismay, Riley spends her nights in their son’s room.

Liam finds conversation elsewhere and he is so full of interest of his son – his questions about Levi rolling off his tongue like second nature.

She shares Levi’s obvious delight in reading and also in the arts. She shares how whilst he isn’t a clingy child, he is protective, always asking her if she will be okay, if he makes her happy and if she will promise him to smile. She shares how Levi is predominantly a quiet child, but she always notices how his eyes are constantly searching, always observing as if he is analysing and calculating. She shares how blunt he can sometimes be, how he will point out her lies when she tries to tell him she is okay.

She shares to Liam her worries as a mother – thought on if she is doing enough, if she had done the right thing and her worries for his future; not of his role as crown prince, no, she avoids the topic, but more so on how he will view the world. She recognises and admits that his upbringing has been rocky and may not have been the best, but even more importantly, how his temperament and attachment to her has had such a big impact on him when she interacts with someone new. Levi is always cautious in these cases, his eyes constantly peering with distrust as he would cling onto his mother’s leg almost protectively.

And Liam entering into their lives is an evidence of this.

They can see how strongly Levi has stuck to his words of not needing a father. When he is not distracted by his mother, his books or various curious scribbles on scraps of paper, his dark eyes follow Liam’s every move; it didn’t matter what he was doing, he could be cooking breakfast, doing paperwork or simply reading the paper – Levi’s eyes would be on him.

Yet, Liam does notice how as time progresses, Levi would slowly stop pulling Riley away when he talked to her, or when his simple, innocent caresses lingers for a bit too long.

It must be quite different, this change of pace… Liam would wonder each morning when he would drown Riley’s apartment with the aroma of pancakes with the traditional Cordonian twist of apple spice.

He remembers the first morning when Riley and Levi awoke to him gowned in an apron, serving up Cordonian pancakes for the both of them with a breakfast beverage – a simple cup of coffee regular for Riley and a pairing cup of apple juice for Levi. He remembers the reminiscing look on Riley’s face and the ever cautious one on Levi’s. His son was slow to eat the cut-up pieces Riley gives him, but Liam could tell how much he loved it by the way he would stare longingly at the rest of the stack, which Liam would then cut up for him.

Liam had taken on the role of a domesticated father-figure, and he is so pleased with the routine that they have developed.

Each morning, he makes sure to get up before Riley does to pack her lunch and prepare breakfast for Riley, Levi and himself. Depending on Riley’s shift for that day, Liam would bring Levi along, much to their son’s pleasure, to send Riley off for work. It was something that Levi had never experienced before, since he as either ushered into day care or Daniel would look after him.

Levi and Liam would then venture around, exploring local libraries or even Central Park, if Levi’s legs could carry him that far. Liam has offered countless times to carry him, but he has refused, explaining many days later when he would ask again, that he was turning five very soon and that he didn’t need to be carried.

If Riley’s schedule persists, they would meet up to enjoy lunch together. Afterwards, Liam would take Levi home, where Levi would spend some time resting with a book, playing with his toys or doing a drawing, whilst his father would work on the growing stack of paperwork on the very cluttered dining table.

When Riley returns from work, she would be greeted by Liam’s homecooked dinners. Some were a hit-and-miss as he tries out new recipes that would result in Riley needing to order Chinese takeaway. She is both worried and impressed that Liam hadn’t turned the building into rubble. Their dinners would never be void of any wine or fresh flowers and would always be filled with conversations of what they did each day. Riley remembers seeing the sparkle in Liam’s eye when he would share that Levi, despite how unwilling he was at first to accompany Liam anywhere, to have any prolonged conversations with him or respond to his suggestions, helped mix, or helped season the food on the table. And Riley would remember Levi being specific on which dishes he helped to make and would claim it to be the best one on the table.

Her mischievous little chefs, Riley would call them.

And Liam would wash up the dishes, wipe the benches and sweep the floors. He would pack away the toys that Levi has played with and put bookmarks in the books that he hadn’t finish while Riley bathed him. He would join them later when Levi was tucked up in bed, and with Matilda finally finished, Liam took the liberty to begin reading him The Little Prince.

Liam loves how Levi’s eyes would droop to the sound of his voice once he has gotten past a few pages. He admires how his long lashes would flutter when he desperately tries to stay awake to listen to the story. He loves how Levi sleeps on his side, his hands clutching onto the duvet cover to keep himself warm and tucked in. And he admires his gentle breathing when he finally succumbs to sleep, the way his blanket would follow the slow rise and fall of his chest.

Liam treasured these moments so much, that somehow, everything that had happened since Riley’s departure pales heavily in comparison.

He hasn’t had the pleasure to think about or even explore domestic life since prior to Leo’s abdication. He had been so envious of the life that his brother was now living with his wife, that he feels a great sense of pride that he was now experiencing the same thing, even if it wasn’t in an ideal situation. It was pleasant, however, to experience a slice of life that was in some ways, disconnected to the crown and the court.

He admires the effort that he has put in into their current situation. His relationship with Levi was still sometimes rocky, but it was definitely on the improving edge. At times, Levi would initiate simple conversations which Liam would try to pursue it into something longer and at times, Levi would barely utter a word to him. Liam understands the complications of the current situation and how odd it must be for Levi to take in his constant presence into his life in just a few weeks.

He admires how his relationship with Riley was also improving. Her tears are now replaced with laughter and smiles, their hugs and kisses at the door were of happy nature as they were only exchanged when Riley came home from work, and not because he was the one leaving to be with his legal wife.

Their roles were almost reversed from when they were in Cordonia, Liam notes. It was a nice change from all the tears and longing for each other.

Liam is hopeful of their future, at the very least.

But despite the happiness that they shared, they forget that their situation was forged on a temporary basis and that their expiration date was drawing closer with every passing day.

It all begins when Liam was concentrating on paperwork that sat in the depressingly red despatch box. Bastien makes it an effort to bring over his work every other day, filled to the brim with documents that he needed to sign, papers that he needed to stamp, sheets that he needed to approve, or to simply read.

Levi would ask him simple questions over the weeks out of curiosity. When he spoke to Liam or simply just observing over the edge of his book, his eyes would linger on the different parchments of papers, the red and the gold detail, the various stamps that sat within that red box…

They fail to realise that each individual situation affected the outcome, a butterfly effect of events that forced them to remember the elephant in the room – the last, heavy topic that they have been avoiding.

All of Levi’s questions were short and never on the same day.

It starts with Liam’s accent.

Simple, curious and innocent.

The boy points out the way Liam spoke differently, how he pronounced things differently and even at times spoke in a different language.

European, Liam had replied.

“I was born and raised in a small country in Europe called Cordonia.”, were his exact words.

Liam, being interested in sharing his home, would ask Bastien to bring pictures of Cordonia, and he would receive them the next time he delivered The King’s despatch box.

And Liam would take his time over days, weeks to share the pictures. He tries to describe every detail that he knows and remembers.

The saltiness of the air from the Mediterranean beaches, the crunch of sticks and grass beneath his feet at Applewood Manor, the smell of fresh apples and other various apple themed delicacies, the dusty red colour of tiles, the hustle and bustle of street stalls on a busy market day, the colour, texture and shapes of the stones that makes up Cordonia’s town centre, the cool, crisp water that sprouts out from the famous King Fabian statue, the grandness and height of the bell tower…

He shares with Levi the memories that he has of his mother at the Cordonian library in that very town centre; how he remembers her jasmine perfume, the way the wind would ruffle her hair as they sat on the steps of the library and the way she loved and appreciated books like how Levi did.

“It looks like the New York Public Library here.” Levi had murmured while looking at the pictures.

And Liam would grin when he thinks of the similarities. “The stones are a bit darker in Cordonia. Not as white, and certainly not as big. New York is much bigger than Cordonia, you see.”

The next time Levi brings up Cordonia again, Liam had just gotten off the phone and had realised that he was staring at him.

“…You sound like Aunty Hana.” Levi would insinuate, “And that blonde lady who came to speak to Mom. …Are they from Cordonia too?”

And Liam would nod, remembering Riley mentioning about Hana being her main support over the years and of Madeleine’s very brief, very awkward visit.

And other questions would pop up from time to time.

Questions about Riley in Cordonia.

Questions about the oceans and the beaches.

Questions about the weather and the seasons.

Questions about their obsession with apples.

And Liam is happy to see the curiosity in his eyes, happy that he is eager to learn and to ask. When Riley is there, she too, is happy to share her memories of Cordonia.

But Levi has been staring at it for weeks.

The curious red box that sits on the table. That specific and peculiar shade of red that sticks out in their small and bland apartment. The intricate gold designs that looked like it was symbolic for something. And the gold-stamped letters on the open lid, upside down when it was open.

And when he finally notices the lettering one afternoon, Levi turns his head to try and read what it says. His eyes take in the intricate details of the sigil and how the stamped letters sit in the middle at the bottom, close to the edge.

And he reads the golden, bold letters.

THE KING

He remembers blinking.

He remembers thinking how it was possibly some form of toy; yet the seriousness that showed on Liam’s face and the concentration sketched into his brows showed that it wasn’t some play thing.

It was a look that mirrored his mother’s face when she sat in the same chair, sorting and looking through bills.

It happens a few days later when the three of them sit down for dinner, picking at the small, white takeaway boxes from Panda Express.

Liam and Riley chat away, laughing at something that happened at Riley’s work when Levi suddenly speaks.

His eyes are focused on the food in front of him.

“…What’s the difference between a president and a king?”

A pregnant pause.

Liam is the first to speak, and Levi takes in his words – something about a president being voted in by people for a few years while kingship is hereditary, for life, but both serving as a ruler, as a representative of the country they live in.

Another pause, as Levi pushes the food around on his plate.

“…Does Cordonia have a president or a king?”

“…A King.” Liam replies, a sense of calmness in the situation as he moves his hand to hold onto Riley’s shaking one.

She was deathly pale and quiet, holding her breath. Her mind was not working as quick as she would like, and she was still swaying between if she should or should not tell Levi about his roots.

Liam’s grip on her hand tightens in reassurance as Levi finally looks up at him.

His gaze, Liam notes, is calm, predicting and almost expecting of Liam’s next words.

“And I am the King of Cordonia.”

But Liam can also see the storm of unsorted emotions brewing in his son’s body.

“…Is that why it reads ‘The King’ on your red box?” Levi asks, his eyes unwavering.

So that’s where he found out.

Liam nods.

Riley was not wrong when she said he was observant for a four-year-old.

­-

Instead of the somewhat usual laughter that night, the apartment was filled with eerie silence.

When Riley and Liam enter Levi’s bedroom, he is quiet, sitting in his bed with The Little Prince on his lap, already flipping through the pages and attempting to read the earlier parts.

Riley is quiet, still lost in her own thoughts. She allows Liam to do the talking.

Liam is calm. He sits on the floor so he is at eye-level with Levi – a simple tactic that he has learnt to use in order to convey that he is on Levi’s side, that he trusts him and respects him.

He explains to Levi that he is the Crown Prince of Cordonia and what having that title means. He explains to him the rules and expectations as crown prince, but he also conveys the joys of being able to create change, to shape the future for the better. He reminds him of the conversations that they have had on Cordonia for the past days and weeks; he reminds Levi how much he said he loved the colour of the beaches, the apple delicacies and the Cordonian library. He reminds him of the time that his mother has spent there and how much she had enjoyed it and made countless friends like Aunty Hana.

And Riley jumps in finally when Levi remains silent. She blurts out words of reason, telling him that it also means meeting people who will not trust him and not love him like how Liam and herself does. She tells him how people will talk behind his back and say mean things, but there will be so many people who will love him if he were to love Cordonia like how he loves her. She tells him that being the Crown Prince of Cordonia will mean that they will be able to spend more time with Liam as a family.

They both reason to him collectively, agreeing with each other that he doesn’t need to accept the role as Crown Prince straight away, or ever, if he chooses. They repeat to Levi what Liam had said over dinner, that it was just a hereditary status, that he can take time to think and consider the role that was given to him when he was born.

Levi is still quiet.

It is a lot to take in.

“We can go back to Cordonia together, and you can decide then if you want to stay, Levi.” Liam says, trying to reassure him.

“And we can come back to America if you don’t want to be there, my love”, Riley mumbles, agreeing to Liam’s words as she squeezes and rubs Levi’s hand out of nervousness, out of love and out of worry.

Levi looks at Riley, then Liam, then back at Riley.

He blinks, then stares at his mother’s hand over his own.

He swallows.

And nods, a quiet “Okay.” leaving his lips.

-

He is reassured, over and over again.

He is hugged, over and over again.

He is kissed, over and over again.

They turn off the light in his room after tucking him into bed, wishing him goodnight.

But his eyes stay open, looking at the flashing lights of a plane so far away in the sky.

He thinks back to the book that Liam had given him and there is a slight frown on his brows.

The slight distrust and questioning returning to his eyes.

The Little Prince…

…The Little Prince.

He thinks back to Liam who had read him parts of the story.

And he remembers the different elements presented, written, drawn and explored in the story. The king with no subjects; the contradicting man; the mindless followers; the materialistic businessman; the lonely geographer…

He wonders how many of these people he will meet – what personalities they would all have, how they would interact with him, with Liam, and with his mother.

He is curious and slightly interested.

He doesn’t fully comprehend the situation, but he is sure of one thing when he recalls the whispered conversation shared between his mother and Liam a few days ago.

“Must you go…?”

“I have to… I need to make an appearance for a while, but I will be back as soon as I can, my love.”

“Levi will miss you… he won’t say it but I know he will. And I’ll miss you…”

“I know, my love. I’ll miss the two of you, too.”

And he remembers recognising the quiet sobs coming from his mother and Levi can still feel the uncomfortable tug at his heart.

He can still feel the uncertainty of his mother’s wellbeing that resurfaced in the twists and turns of his stomach if Liam were to leave. The flashing images that crosses his mind of his mother curled up in bed or on the floor somewhere, hands in her face whilst she cries…

He didn’t care about Liam being a king.

He didn’t care about him being a prince.

But he was determined to protect only one person.

He closes his eyes, wishing for sleep to take him.

Levi doesn’t dare to tell his mother that he only said yes because he could see how happy the man who calls himself his dad made her.

-

“What is the meaning of this?”

Cold, abrupt judgement.

“My statement for the press. She has a son.” She is calm.

A scrunched-up paper meets the carpeted floor.

“I do not care if she has a son. There is no valid proof that he is the descendent of the crown.”

“You are forgetting what age we are in, my dear Aunt. Paternal tests exist.” Short and brash.

“Tests can make mistakes. Results can be forged. You, are Queen.” Calculating. Ridiculing.

“…”, Her green eyes are icy as they narrow just the slightest, “And what would you presume I do with this child of mine?”

The Queen Mother’s eyes gazes at the scenery of the garden outside from the tall window. Her thin lips meet the rim of her teacup.

“Nothing but a tiny obstacle. You should know what to do.”

A pause as she drinks.

“Cordonia will not do with a bastard child as their crown prince, Madeleine. Especially not with that whore of a woman as Queen.”

--

Part 6: Achlys

[lamujerarana]

people have been calling the ff dated for ages but I still don't understand it - I get that the dynamic is based off sixties sitcoms but I don't see why a story about family is perceived to be too old fashioned to resonate now - why do you think the ff lost their popularity?

I’ve written already on why I think the FF are still relevant and more important today than ever.

But as to why people consider them outdated, well, I think it’s a combination of two main things:

First, perceptions of the FF, among the general public but especially in comics fandom, are stuck in the past or very simplified. I think people see the bright uniforms and the family dynamic and assume that the FF are a happy, functional family who lead overly privileged lives, have no real problems, and always have goofy, ridiculous adventures. They think the FF’s lives are unrealistically bright and wholesome and happy, like something out of a Disney cartoon, which isn’t really in vogue at the moment. It’s similar to why people think Superman is no longer relevant (they are wrong on both counts). 

Of course, they don’t realize that the FF’s lives aren’t like that in actual comics canon (this is why actually reading comics and not relying on fandom interpretations is important). Honestly, they never have been. They love each other, but they are not perfect people with perfect lives. That has literally always been the point of the FF. They’re more realistic and natural and flawed as people than the heroes who came before them (and, I’d argue, plenty who came after them). They bicker amongst themselves frequently. They have very real problems. As Waid wrote in FF V3 #60, the FF as a family is more Addams than Cleaver (or Kennedy). But the thing is, together they – and their love for each other – are perfect, and they can get through anything as a family. So, yes, there’s a hopeful message at the heart of FF comics, but that doesn’t mean their lives are storybook perfect. More like beset by tragedy, despair, and disillusionment, but that’s what makes the fact that they do overcome in the end so important. They’re the ones who never give up, no matter how bad everything gets, and things do get very, very bad for them. Literally, that is where Peter Parker and so many other heroes learned that “never give up!” phrase from.

I mean, for fuck’s sake, just to list SOME of the things they’ve been through: 

Cut for length.

Johnny and Sue watched their father get murdered in front of them way back in 1964, when Johnny can’t have been more than 17. Johnny nearly died stopping a nuclear bomb from destroying a small town at 16, the same year he was one misfired bullet away from being shot to death. He is a rape survivor. He was trapped for two years in a Negative Zone prison where he was violently murdered and brought back to life, over and over, hundreds and hundreds of times. He’s been experimented on repeatedly, including by a future version of his own sister. He was beaten, during Civil War I, into a coma by the same civilians he’d repeatedly risked his life defending since he was literally a child. Ben’s superpowers are a thinly-veiled metaphor for full-body disfiguration, which he struggles to cope with daily (in Mythos: Fantastic Four he actually suffered full-body burns in the accident, which later turned into the rocky skin). Ben’s brother, father, and mother all died before he hit 18. Reed suffers from chronic anxiety because of his superpowers and the effort it takes him to retain a human shape. For several months, half of his face was badly scarred by Doom, and he believed there was no cure (it took divine intervention to fix it). Sue had her mind invaded, violated, and warped by the Psycho Man. She also witnessed her future self’s murder at the hands of Doom and held her own funeral. Reed and Sue’s kids have been possessed, thrown into hell, kidnapped, and forcibly taken away by court order. The FF lose everything periodically. Every member of the FF at one point or another has been either actually dead or presumed dead, and, yes, the others grieved. Are grieving, in Ben and Johnny’s case, over the loss of their entire family. Their origin story is 100% a horror story, where they are all turned into monsters against their will by a horrible accident they are lucky to have survived at all, and it was experienced by every member of the FF as deeply traumatizing. People never understand that the FF’s celebrity is a carefully constructed shield to protect the FF from discrimination and ostracization, or that it’s only partially successful. They have been called freaks, refused housing, subjected to bigoted mob violence because they are metahumans (and Franklin is a mutant), had people refuse to associate with them, been taken in the dead of night to military prisons and studied, where they witnessed another inmate being called a freak and executed…and that barely scratches the surface of what the FF have been through. 

So, again, their lives are not always – in fact, rarely ever – like something out of a storybook. The point is that they overcome difficulties and tragedy as a family, not that they never face any the way people bafflingly seem to assume. This misconception of what the FF are like very much contributes to the hatred of the most recent FF movie as “too grim and dark,” when it is actually not too far off from the comics. Most of that film’s plot was taken from Ultimate Fantastic Four, and the scenes from the military prison are, frankly, watered down, less horrifying versions of Fantastic Four: First Family and 1610/616 canon in general. The FF in the comics are fascinating. They are all complex characters with complex problems. They can at times be delightful, hopeful, and happy, but there’s an undercurrent of tragedy and horror to their story that never goes away. They took a terrible, tragic accident and made the best of it, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t tragic.

Which leads me to my second point: fandom characterizations of individual members of the FF also tend to be outdated, simplistic, and so much duller than actual canon. For the most part, they are inaccurate, pure and simple. I partially blame the 2005/7 films for misconceptions about Johnny (who is NOTHING like that in the comics) and maybe Sue, partially the tendency fandom has to whip out 30-50yo, out-of-context panels to verify their outdated characterizations, and partially the mischaracterization of the FF when they guest star in other comics (Reed gets the worst of this by far – I still get angry about what Civil War, Mighty Avengers, and New Avengers: Illuminati did to his character. It was just petty and unnecessary and OOC – I suspect the writers were intentionally making him look bad to prop up their Avenger faves, which is gross and has done a lot of damage to fan perceptions of the FF). 

So, for the record, Reed is not an arrogant, selfish jackass who loves science more than his family. That is the exact opposite of who he is. It was a literal plot point during Hickman’s run, that he has to listen to his heart just as much as his mind. Reed’s entire life revolves around his family. Everything he says or does is for them. And, for the record, he’s actually shown in canon being 100% involved in his wife and kids’ lives. Family picnics, family dinners, family movie nights, date nights, romantic island getaways, reading his kids bedtime stories, putting them to bed, nightly feedings, ball games, vacationing with the family at his California summer house – for fuck’s sake, he homeschools his kids. I have a VERY hard time buying that he neglects his kids when he’s sitting in a classroom with them several hours a day, five days a week. He’s also driven by his desire to make the world a better place – i.e., he feels a great deal of sympathy for the people around him and a moral responsibility to care for their well-being. And he is not boring! He’s an explorer! He’s Mr. Adventure! He’s half Indiana Jones, half Einstein. The FF’s lives are never boring when he’s around, and they all love him for it and love the life fantastic he makes possible for them all. And Reed works hard to give them that life because he feels so deeply guilty for the space flight accident that gave them their powers, which he believes robbed them all of a chance for a normal life. (No one else holds him responsible, but that’s Reed’s thing. Taking responsibility for everyone and everything around him.) 

And, I can’t believe I actually have to say this because it is one of the most ridiculous arguments fandom has ever concocted, but Reed does not now nor has he ever abused his wife and children. Even in the 1970s, he broke through some serious mind control because the thought of physically harming Sue was so repulsive to him. He would literally die for her. The panels that typically get bandied around as indicative of his abusiveness are part of a badly-written plot that necessitated Reed act like a jerk for a few moments to save his wife’s life. Is it a terrible plot? Sure. Does it mean Reed is abusive? FUCK NO. It actually means the opposite – that is framed as very unlike him in the actual comic. So. Was he sexist/dismissive of Sue at times in the beginning? Sure, but pretty much every other male superhero who has been around more than maybe two decades was the same way about women. Let’s not kid ourselves – many male heroes still are condescending to women. So if we’re dismissing Reed because of period-typical sexism from 50-30 years ago, we’ve got to hold every male superhero who’s been around, oh, more than two decades accountable the same way. What matters is that Reed’s characterization has shifted since 1961 and he’s rarely – if ever – depicted as sexist these days and consistently hasn’t been since the late 1990s, which is more than I can say about certain popular, beloved male “heroes” who regularly get taken up as feminists by fandom, despite their lengthy history of violent, abusive behavior towards women, behavior that has never been addressed and they’ve never been held accountable for (is it sad that I am thinking of two separate “heroes” when I say this? Reading the comics is important, kids, because it keeps you from doing things like that). Mostly I think we need to differentiate between period-typical sexism – which we can assume would no longer occur in a modern-day context when a sliding timescale is taken into account (i.e., a character expresses a sexist belief because it is seen as normal in the time period in which the comic was written, but once it’s updated to a modern-day context, they would no longer do so) – and virulent misogyny, which is a set character trait that does not change even if you move the story forward into modern times. Reed is the former, not the latter (he was actually, if you can believe this, considered “hen-pecked” in the 1960s). As a point of comparison, Reed nowadays is consistently depicted treating his wife as his equal if not better, while Namor’s toxic, condescending, misogynistic treatment of Sue remains very much unchanged (despite the disturbing tendency of some writers to romanticize Namor’s unhealthy obsession with Sue). So. Reed’s sexism in the 1960s was period-typical, Namor’s was and is due to his own misogyny. One changes, the other does not. And also? Reed’s wife is one of the most powerful women in the Marvel Universe, and she’s smart as hell. She doesn’t let him get away with anything, even on those very rare occasions when he tries, believe me. If he keeps a secret out of a misguided desire to “protect” her, he knows it’s only a matter of time before she figures it out, and she always, always does, sooner rather than later. (It’s hard to keep secrets from someone who can turn invisible.) But most of all, Reed and Sue are equals and partners, in every sense of the word. They are one hell of a power couple, emphasis on the “power.”

Sue isn’t a weak, passive, neglected housewife who dotes on Reed’s every word. Please stop with that. She’s a ridiculously powerful badass superhero, the COO of Fantastic Four, Inc., a dedicated philanthropist, an intrepid explorer, a part-time SHIELD agent, a skilled diplomat, the Queen of Old Atlantis, and a woman who can defeat the Avengers singlehandedly, terrify seasoned supervillains into fainting from sheer terror, and easily outsmart men who are trying to outmaneuver her politically. And she’s a very happily married woman, thank you very much, who adores her husband and considers herself his equal, and he feels the same way. He has, in fact, called her the true leader and most powerful member of the FF, and she describes him as a man who “oozes integrity” and calls her love for him “the lodestone of my being.” He’s grateful that she loves him, and says he loves her more than anything. She loves Reed and she loves that her life with him is always interesting, one adventure after another. Let me explain something that sums up Reed and Sue’s modern-day dynamic to you: bad guy does something to piss Sue off (like threatening/harming a family member), Reed makes sure other good guys keep out of the way so she can personally kick bad guy’s ass, doesn’t even question whether his wife can handle it because he knows she can, enjoys watching Sue kick the shit out of said bad guy because she’s such a badass and he’s so proud of her. This happens more than once. Reed gets captured, body swapped, mind controlled, etc.? “Not worried. I know Sue will save me, even if she has no reason to think I’m in trouble. She’ll figure it out and save me because she’s so smart and wonderful.” Sue needs to do something well-nigh impossible? “She can do it. I believe in her.” He trusts her implicitly. So. Reed is sweet and gentle as a lamb, and Sue is as fierce as a lioness. Personally, I have to say, sweet, absent-minded, unassuming scientist/husband and scary, badass, overly capable, powerful COO/queen/wife is exactly the sort of ship I love. So, hey, guys? Maybe don’t assume their marriage has the same dynamic it had 50 years ago. Because it doesn’t, and I think if you stopped to think about it for ten seconds, you would know that a sexist dynamic like that wouldn’t have survived this long. 

Johnny’s not a conceited playboy/frat boy or a jock. I assure you he has never been in a frat in his life – he dropped out of college to be with his serious girlfriend – who he nearly married – not long after enrolling (…at like 19, he was already trying to get married…he just wants a family). He’s very noble, compassionate, gentle, heroic, loathes violence, and cares deeply about the greater good/helping other people. He’s very paranoid about potentially losing control and harming other people with his powers because he would literally rather die than let that happen. He’s VERY responsible and always in control when it comes to his powers, because if he’s not people die. He doesn’t like sports very much – he’s a geek who canonically loves video games, Star Wars, The Matrix, Quantum Leap, Sliders, and Buffy. He loves fashion and cars and Broadway and cooking and babies and his family and his hair. He has very low self-esteem – mostly he thinks he’s worthless without his powers and that people only like him for his looks (which is why he’s so fixated on them, btw). He wants desperately to find true love, get married, and have kids of his own, but he never manages to do it, which always negatively affects his self-esteem. He’s only ever broken up with someone ONCE in his whole life (Lyja, for excellent reasons) – his partners, on the other hand, dump him, over and over, in the most traumatizing, dismissive ways possible. He is bipolar (he’s called himself manic-depressive in 1970s FF canon, an older term for bipolar), and suffers from chronic depression. He’s also word-of-god canon queer, and his character has a pretty lengthy history of queer-coding. So, you know, maybe stop assuming he’s a straight dudebro jock when he’s very much not in the comics. 

Ben, as I’ve mentioned, isn’t a happy-go-lucky guy who is just a collection of antiquated quips – he struggles constantly with his superpower/disability and the depression it causes. It took YEARS for him to work up the courage to go out in public (when not superheroing) without hiding behind a trench coat/hat combo. He thought of himself as hideous and monstrous and would frequently have angry outbursts when people reacted to him with horror or disgust. It was only his family’s unconditional love and loyalty as well as Alicia’s capacity to see the good man within that helped him, after a very long time, to accept himself. His story is one of struggling with disability and learning to love yourself again. It’s hard for him! It’s incredibly hard and he still backslides some days. Also, he’s Jewish! Why doesn’t anyone ever know that he is canonically a Jewish war hero who originally fought in WWII? He’s a fascinating, important character and I think he could resonate strongly with modern audiences.

Basically, fandom is very, very wrong about all of them. Everything about the FF that fandom thinks is “outdated” or “boring” or “unlikable” is either an invention of fandom or something it cannot move past even though canon (largely, with very few exceptions) did long ago, and thus it does not coincide with actual, modern-day canon. 

Fantastic Four comics are not stuck in the 1960s. Fandom is.

[agespecific]

Were you a reader as a child? Did you snuggle up in a chair or under the covers at bedtime while an adult read to you? If so, chances are you were impacted by the wisdom found in children’s books.

Reading helps us to understand ourselves, the world around us and other people. Reading also allows us to experience things we could not experience personally.

Some children’s books, especially those written in the 18th and 19th centuries were thinly veiled attempts at imparting morals and manners to children.

Later books were more focused on entertaining children, though lessons seeped through like water in a sieve, impacting us – even if we were not consciously aware of what we were learning.

I still remember my mother reading aloud the novel Heidi, one chapter at a time. My sister and I anxiously perched on the bed, waiting to hear about Heidi, Peter, Grandfather and the goats.

We imagined the far away setting in the Alps, almost breathing in the fresh air as Heidi did. From Heidi, I learned compassion, feeling homesick along with the little orphan girl and her wheelchair bound friend Clara.

Compassion is just one of the many lessons I learned while reading classic children’s novels. Here are six other lessons we may have unconsciously learned as we read and reread the beloved stories of our youth.

We Can Be Independent

Part of the work of childhood is gradually growing into people who are independent from our parents and caregivers. Children’s books are full of stories of children who take the reins and control their own destiny.

Remember Nancy Drew? She was very independent, driving around in her blue roadster with only the slightest supervision from her father. The Boxcar Children successfully lived alone in an abandoned box car, working to get money for food and taking care of each other.

The children of Narnia managed quite well in their adopted fantasy land, conquering foes with little adult help. Pippi Longstocking lived in Villa Villakkulla with nary an adult in sight.

Children’s stories helped us to imagine living independently without actually leaving the safety of our homes. We could escape our everyday lives and live in a tree like Sam, the young boy in My Side of the Mountain, who runs away, adopts a falcon and survives on his own in the Catskill mountains.

These characters and others like them taught us that with resourcefulness and hard work we can take care of ourselves.

Pluck and Grit Will Take You Far

Remember Laura Ingalls Wilder? The child of the Little House on the Prairie series was known for her spirit. Other young pioneers such as tomboy Caddie Woodlawn, Jody in The Yearling, and Travis of Old Yeller were also courageous and not afraid to act.

Creating a home in a new and untamed land is one recipe for developing kids with pluck and grit, but clearly not the only one.

Young Ramona in the Beverly Cleary books is gutsy, audacious and bold. Velvet, of National Velvet, is strong-willed and determined.

Homer Price manages to foil bank robbers and control a situation with a donut machine gone berserk. These are characters who persevere and tenaciously deal with life’s challenges.

Many of us also devoured biographies. The Childhood of Famous Americans series, little blue and orange books, were wildly popular in the 1950s and 1960s.

The books, which were later deemed to be more fictional than reality, focused on the lives of courageous children who grew up to be heroes. These and other biographies inspired us to do worthy things.

Be Open to Adventure

Children’s stories are full of characters who have adventures. What would The Adventures of Tom Sawyer have been like if Tom, Huck and Becky had stayed home and played board games all day?

Think of Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys and the Tollivers solving mysteries. Young Jim Hawkins has his map of Treasure Island and goes out to sea. The children of the Melendy family have a new adventure every Saturday.

Travel appeared in children’s books before it became mainstream for many people. Donna Parker goes to Hollywood, making us long for the world of glamour and movie stars.

Nancy Drew travels to France, Nairobi and Austria. The Bobbsey Twins visited Plymouth Rock and Colonial Williamsburg, imparting history lessons along the way.

Children in books also traveled across time and place. Tolly in the Greene Knowe series meets children from the past. Charlotte in Charlotte Sometimes travels via magical bed to an English boarding school in 1918. In children’s books, time travel – with all of its adventurous possibilities – is an option.

You Need Friends

We all need a sidekick or two. Friends help us out of sticky situations and encourage us to be our best. They provide laughter and help us to find insight just when we need it.

Charlotte had Wilbur. Betsy had Tacy. Nancy Drew had Bess and George. Donna Parker had Ricky West, and Trixie Beldon had Honey Wheeler. The two sets of Bobbsey twins had each other.

Anne of Green Gables had her bosom buddy, Diana. Like Anne, many of us had or longed for a friend who was our steadfast companion and kindred spirit. If we lacked such a friend in our lives, characters from the novels we read often became our friends.

It’s Fun to Stretch Your Imagination

The fun and fantasy of children’s books enriched us by stretching our imaginations. We love to suspend willing disbelief in order to accept the magical.

Remember Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle? She was a little old lady whose husband was a pirate. She lived in an upside-down house and imparted ‘cures’ to children who misbehaved. What fun it was to imagine playing in an upside-down house or digging up treasure in the back yard.

Fantasy could take us on adventures. We could step through a wardrobe in England and walk into Narnia, where we could meet witches and battle evil. We traveled to Oz with Dorothy and had fun believing that lands like Oz, with all of its magical creatures, exist.

Mythology and folklore also gave us fantastic tales. We imagined what it would be like to be a giant like Paul Bunyan and have a big blue ox for a pet. We could also have dragons for pets or ride one conquering the air. We soured across the skies and into the oceans with Greek gods and goddesses.

Some fantasies were closer to home. The adventures of a lowly house painter, Mr. Popper and his twelve penguins, kept us laughing. We imagined what fun it would be to have such amazing creatures in our own homes.

Believing in the impossible opened us up to creativity, which feeds our souls and helps us to solve problems.

Kindness Matters

Children’s books often bring out the simple theme that kindness matters. In the beginning of Charlotte’s Web, Fern saves a runt pig, Wilbur, from her father’s ax. Saving Wilbur’s life allows friendship in the barnyard to blossom.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, we learn the hard way from the story of Wanda, a young girl who is ridiculed for wearing the same dress every day.

When she proclaims that she has a hundred dresses, the other girls laugh. Her bullies eventually learn the truth, too late for Wanda but in time to teach them – and us – a lesson about kindness.

In children’s books we also learn to love and care for animals. Books such as Bambi, Lassie and the horse stories of Marguerite Henry gave us insight into the lives of animals. Many children experienced the love of animals they met through books.

The books we read as children often shape us. What books did you love as a child? What do you think you learned from them? We would love to hear your experiences and memories in the comments below.

Michele Meier Vosberg, Ph.D. is a writer and freelance educator. She left her career of over thirty years in order to create the life of her dreams. She is passionate about helping others understand their unique personality and gifts and design their best lives. Michele is married, has two grown daughters and lives in Madison, Wisconsin. Connect with Michele at liferedesign101.com

The post 6 Lessons Baby Boomers Learned from Classic Children’s Books appeared first on Age Specific.

[chocolate-brownies]

When I was a kid back in the eighties, we had lots of cool books. We had Clifford the Big Red Dog, Curious George, and The Berenstain Bears. There were countless stories with morals and endearing, memorable characters, but I can’t recall a single example that suggested mindfulness: awareness of breath, conscious self-talk, slowing down the moments, tapping into the senses as a way to come into the present moment for ourselves as well as for others.

Today, the number of well-written, thought-provoking children’s picture books with a mindful component is growing by the moment. Adding a mindful book or two to the current cannon of bedtime stories feels like adding an extra nutrient to the meal. We are planting seeds of empowerment in our youngsters to grow into young adults who can appreciate their world from the inside out.

Adding a mindful book or two to the current cannon of bedtime stories feels like adding an extra nutrient to the meal.

I pulled together seven mindfulness-based illustrated children’s books published over the last year that are worthy of a closer look. I lugged them around in a canvas bag on a road trip with my eight-year-old and two-year-old daughters, who were more than happy to add their insights and judgments. We gave them each multiple read-throughs in a range of places, times and environments, allowing the message of mindfulness to sink in deeply, and giving the books more than one chance to impress us. Here’s what we discovered.

  1. A WORLD OF PAUSABILITIES An Exercise In Mindfulness* By Frank J. Sileo, PhD Illustrated by Jennifer Zivoin Magination Press

  A World of Pausabilities pulls us into a neighborhood on a summer day that could be any neighborhood on any day. There, we see both children and adults applying mindfulness to everyday moments by taking a pause. The illustrations are crisp and active, depicting all sorts of people delving into the richness of moments like eating an apple and taking a slow, silent walk. The words rhyme, child-like in their simplicity. After reading this book, I started noticing pausabilities all over the place in my world—little bursts of extra mindfulness while brushing my teeth and walking the dog.

  2.  I AM PEACE A Book Of Mindfulness* By Susan Verde Illustrated by Peter Reynolds Abrams Books

  I Am Peace (one of three books in a series, between I Am Yoga and I Am Human) reads more like an aspiration than a tale. It takes us through one, slowed-down moment with a child who is using mindfulness to bring about peace when his thoughts are worrisome. “I give myself a moment. I take a breath. And then I tell myself, it’s alright.” Peter Reynolds’ illustrations are simple and endearing, peace signs abound. In a perfect world, people of any age will have access to the same sanity and peace that the child in this book has.

  3. CRAB AND WHALE Mindful Storytime: Breathe, Smile, Be.* By Mark Pallis, Chrstiane Kerr Illustrated by James Cottell Mindful Storytime Press

  Crab and Whale tells us the simple story of a crab that helps a whale make it through a tough day by using calming breathing and encouraging awareness of his senses. When the whale is washed up onto the shore, the crab tells him, “I’ll stay with you until the tide comes in.” I was touched by this gesture, and the profound significance of staying with our loved ones when they are going through a hard time. Readers will find this tiny tale helpful in that it shows how mindfulness can be an offering not only to ourselves, but to others when they may need it most.

  4.  BREATHE LIKE A BEAR 30 Mindful Moments to Help Kids to Feel Calm and Focused Anytime, Anywhere. By Kira Willey Illustrated by Anni Betts Rodale Books

Author Kira Willey is a children’s music and yoga expert. You can feel her wide-awake energy in the pages of Breathe Like a Bear. Thirty bite-sized mini-meditations—with names such as “Candle Breath” and “Wake Up Your Face”—are accompanied by fanciful, super-inviting animal images. The author has sectioned off the meditations by energy: “Be Calm,” “Focus,” “Imagine,” “Make Some Energy,” and “Relax.” But I could easily see this as being a family-friendly coffee table book that adults and children alike can pick up, open to any random page, do the tiny practice and be a just a bit more mindful and centered because of it.

  5.  BREATHE AND BE A Book of Mindfulness Poems By Kate Coombs Illustrated by Anna Laitinen Sounds True

  Each page of Breathe and Be offers a miniature poem to tune the mind to the pitch of that which is nourishing and beautiful. “There’s a quiet place in my head like an egg hidden in a nest.” The clever and delicate drawings are not to be rushed through. My eight-year-old daughter declared, “Wow, this is my favorite one.” Breathe and Be is, to put it simply, classy. It would be as much a gorgeous book to give to my daughter as a gift as to give to my mother. It has a lovely timeless quality about it. I could see having this one on my shelf for generations.

  6.  I AM A WARRIOR GODDESS By Jennifer Adams Illustrated by Carme Lemniscates Sounds True

  The half-wall next to my eight-year-old daughter’s desk is filled with post-it notes marked with mis-spelled positive affirmations: “you got ths” and “you r luvd,” they say. I could easily sneak one in there that says, “I m a worior godiss.” The book, I Am a Warrior Goddess feels as simple as a collection of pages of encouraging self-talk for my daughters. The illustrations are fun and lively, telling us the story of a sweet little redhead who talks to herself wisely and affirmatively— the way we are teaching our young girls to speak to themselves.

  7.  MY MAGIC BREATH Find Calm Through Mindful Breathing By Nick Ortner and Alison Taylor Illustrated by Michelle Polizzi Harper Collins

  My Magic Breath is a colorful manual on how to use breath as a tool that can be practiced alongside specific visualizations in order to work with negative, unwelcomed thoughts. Personally, I’m not a fan of the notion that we need to blow sad thoughts completely “off the page,” as I believe there is a place for them in the holistic narrative as well. But, using breath with positive imagery is a very effective way to create space in the psyche for more pleasant thoughts. My two-year-old—who adores blowing out fake birthday candles—really resonated with this one. Regardless of the specifics, I’m a big fan of bringing awareness to the breath, as this book most certainly does.

*Indicates that the book includes a guided meditation.

3 Mindfulness Exercises You Can Try with Your Kids

7 Mindful Books Worth Reading This Summer

The post Seven Mindful Children’s Books appeared first on Mindful.

[rate-my-nosleep-blog]

Rating #02: Do You Remember the Little Red Bear? by AtLeastImGenreSavvy

Summary:

After a man’s sister is injured in a car accident, he and his girlfriend start searching for information about a disturbing bedtime story from his childhood that ends up having a dark connection to real life events. Read the story here.

[ Trigger warnings for the story: Blood, Gore ]

The Rating: (SPOILERS AHEAD)

Structure: 4/10

The pace of this story could’ve been much better. The best written parts are the backstory and flashback sections towards the beginning, but these parts upset the flow of the story and make the parts that are set in the present seem rushed by comparison. It seems almost like the author wrote this under time constraints and didn’t manage their time well, resulting in a fairly carefully crafted beginning and an extremely rushed ending. Here’s a tip for aspiring writers- if your closing paragraph begins with ‘I would later learn that-’ you’re doing something wrong. It’s always better to leave clues earlier on in the story that let the reader figure out the ending on their own, rather than just explaining what happened flat out. (A good film example of this is Simon Oakland’s extremely awkward monologue at the end of Psycho- I’m not saying Psycho is a terrible movie but I think we can all agree that scene really didn’t need to be there.) The little red bear itself seems almost like an afterthought at times and the reveal of Morgan’s sculpture at the ending seemed a little forced. I think it would have worked better if the story within a story about the little red bear had been explained earlier on so that the reader could work out for themselves the connection between the sculpture and the story. It also could’ve been improved if Morgan had been shown reading The Little Red Bear and making her sculpture of it earlier on. The reveal of the dead body inside the sculpture would’ve been just as impactful even if we’d already known that she was inspired by the Little Red Bear.

Style: 6/10

Although the pacing is rushed in parts of this story, I can tell that the author does have some talent. The language used is simple, but descriptive. The description of the bear statue is very effective.  In my own opinion, the author could’ve taken a number of more interesting approaches to the theme of ‘dark and scary children’s book that only a couple of people remember’, but that’s just down to personal preference. Really, the only issue with the writing style is a result of the poor pacing and weak ending, which takes you out of an otherwise competently written story.

Research: 10/10

There are no glaring research errors and no obvious plotholes in this story. Wendy’s treatment after her accident isn’t described in depth, but what is shown seems realistic.

Values: 5/10

Same as with the Pancake Family, I’m giving a 5 because there’s not a moral message to Do You Remember the Little Red Bear, but it also isn’t harmful in any major way. While there are some slight unfortunate implications in the idea of Morgan becoming obsessed with the Little Red Bear to the point of covering her apartment in pictures with it, the author mercifully avoids diagnosing her with anything or ever describing her actions as ‘insane’ or ‘psychotic’.

[foamingkitty]

Sophy Henn’s Top Ten Book List

My girls and I are big fans of Sophy Henn. We adore her picture book, Where Bear? which Courtney introduced me to. And her latest book Pass It On is utterly divine. Full of love and hugs and loads of happiness!

I was so thrilled when Sophie agreed to tell me all about her top ten children’s books. I always love to hear what authors love to read. Thank you Sophie for sharing such a wonderful list with us!

1.Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

I am sure I am not alone in choosing this as one of my very best children’s books. Maurice Sendak was masterful at introducing the darker side of life to pre-schoolers and Where the Wild Things Are is a beautiful example of this. Max’s fury made real in the Wild Things and his eventual cool-down when he realises these Wild Things are really rather silly; this epic journey and realisation all taking place before his dinner gets cold. Picture book perfection.

2. Eloise written by Kay Thompson, Illustrated by Hilary Knight I love Eloise. Even though I sort of know I shouldn’t, and I think that the joy of this book. Kay Thompson walks the very fine line between endearing and annoying with humour and grace. Coupled with Hilary Knight’s wonderful, witty illustrations, this book is a riot!

3. All of Clarice Bean by Lauren Child

Lauren Child has often talked about how she has a very vivid memory of being a child. This is very evident in the voice of Clarice Bean, her view of the world and the way she conveys that view feels completely authentic throughout. Clarice Bean, That’s Me includes one of my all time favourite lines, where Clarice is describing her acrobatics practise…“I do balancing and smiling in tights.” Genius! Alongside all the marvellous words, Lauren Child’s illustrations convey the lovely, jumbly chaos of family life, perfectly complimenting Clarice Bean’s rather scattery narrative style.

4. Oh, the Places You’ll Go by Dr Seuss

I think almost everyone has a favourite Dr Seuss and this is mine. I came across this book when my (now teenage) daughter was very small and the marvellous way Seuss manages to cover pretty much every up and down life has to offer in a picture book, in rhyme, is a complete joy. Never patronising, never scary, but honest and unflinching. It’s those qualities that make you trust this book and all it has to say. I believe every child AND adult should read it at least once and I defy you not to shed a tear at the end.

5. Milly Molly Mandy Stories by Joyce Lankester Brisley

As I grew up being read and then reading this series, Milly Molly Mandy became one of my childhood heroes, albeit a very gentle one. In fact lid potatoes still feature at teatime in my house! Absolutely of its time and all the more comforting for it, Milly Molly Mandy finds joy in the little things, be it knitting a square, making a cake or going for a walk with Little Friend Susan. I love the deceptively simple black and white illustrations dotted throughout, with lovely period touches (the books were originally published in the 1920s). Another reason it makes my top ten because there is a map of Milly Molly Mandy’s village at the front of the book, and who doesn’t love a map at the front of a book?

6. Henri’s Walk to Paris Illustrated by Saul Bass, Written by Leonore Klein

I am a huge fan of Saul Bass, and I would be lying if I said that hadn’t influenced my decision to include this book on my list. Henri’s Walk to Paris is a seemingly simple story about home and what that really means, accompanied by seemingly simple illustrations. But, as experience has taught me, when a text or image is stripped right back, there is nowhere to hide! Bass and Klein convey a pretty complex message with ease, humour, energy and a boldness that is hard not to love. And the colour palette is terrific!

7. This is Not A Book by Jean Julien

I love this book. It’s pretty, witty and so darn clever, I can’t imagine anyone who wouldn’t want a copy.

8. Cops and Robbers by Janet and Allan Ahlberg

Cops and Robbers has a special place in my heart as it was one of my favourite bedtime books when I was little. I loved the rhythm and repetition in the text and all the humour and detail in the illustrations. The ending has a little opening for further adventures, leaving the story slightly unfinished, which is something I love. I think giving the opportunity to dream up or discuss a further adventure extends the story beyond the book, encouraging children and their grown-ups to use their imagination, which is of course hugely important. A moral(ish) tale that revels in its wrong doings and doers; huge fun.

9. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

The most perfect coming of age novel, like a junior Nancy Mitford. I only read this book a few years ago, and wished so much I had read it earlier. The characters appear infuriating and endearing all at once, thanks to our teenage narrator, Cassandra, who is related to or romantically entangled with most of them. English eccentricity, young love, writer’s block, a crumbling castle, rich American brothers and one of the best opening lines…”I write this sitting in the kitchen sink”…marvellous!

10. Emil and the Detectives by Erich Kästner

I reread this recently as I was asked to help judge the Puffin Design Competition and this was the book the entrants had to design a cover for. I vaguely remembered liking the book, but on rereading it I was delighted to discover I actually loved it! Written in the 1920s, Emil and his new gang are left to their own devices to scamper across Berlin unhindered by boring adults as they right a wrong. Following the gang of children, who are utterly empowered, streetwise and surprisingly resourceful, as they defeat a sneaky grown-up is completely thrilling.

from kid games toys http://ift.tt/2iNUx03 via kid games toys