Search Results for: blog threads of honor gordon w ryan

Threads of Honor — Gordon W. Ryan

We all recall that fateful day in 1986 when the space shuttle Challenger blew up just moments after lift-off. I was just shy of ten years old, watching the historic moment on TV. I didn’t understand what had happened until it was explained to me, and I didn’t know until years later the story of the American flag that survived the explosion. “Threads of Honor” by master storyteller Gordon W. Ryan tells the story of that flag. Bill Tolbert, Air Force Major and Boy Scout Leader, told Ryan his story. Given the daunting task of taking six Boy Scouts under … Continue reading →

Boys’ Life Magazine

Boys’ Life Magazine is specifically published for the Boy Scouts of America, but you don’t have to be a Boy Scout to receive it. You can subscribe for a year (12 issues) for the price of $24.00. However, if you are a Scout, you get a discounted subscription rate through your local chapter. This magazine is a lot of fun. Using the February 2007 issue as a model, let’s take a look at what features you can expect to receive. The first thing that catches my eye is a sidebar recommending different books to supplement Black History Month, as well … Continue reading →

Nothing But the Truth – Avi

“Nothing But the Truth” is one of my favorite novels by Avi. Written in documentary style, with none of the traditional introspective narrative to take the reader into the minds and hearts of the characters, we are presented with just the facts and are left to make up our own minds. Our character is Phillip Malloy, a freshman in high school. Each morning in school, “The Star Spangled Banner” is played over the loudspeaker, and Phillip hums along. His teacher tells him that he’s causing a disturbance, but he continues to hum each and every morning as the music is … Continue reading →

Cool Author Websites

As I skim around on the Internet, gathering information on authors for the book reviews I do here on Families.com, I have the chance to see many neat websites. Here are some of my favorites. James Dashner is the author of the Jimmy Fincher series for young adults. His site features mystical looking graphics, great shots of his book covers, and mysterious music. This is an example of a site matching the theme of the book perfectly. Jan Karon, author of the “Mitford” books, has taken a series of scenes that could easily be gatherings in Mitford itself and placed … Continue reading →