The Table Where Rich People Sit, by Byrd Baylor (pictures by Peter Parnall). Aladdin, 1994. Sensible Mountain Girl, sitting at the “old, scratched-up, homemade kitchen table,” tries to convince her family that they are obviously poor. When her parents begin to count up the things that make them rich, Mountain Girl begins to wonder if her family might be rich after all. Designed for ages 6-9.
Be Confident in Who You Are (Middle School Confidential™ Series), by Annie Fox. Free Spirit, 2008. Book 1 of this series provides information on tween/teen concerns as well as practical advice for being healthy, feeling good about who you are, and staying in control of your feelings and actions—amidst some of the toughest tensions. Parents are encouraged to check out “Family Confidential: Secrets to Successful Parenting,” a weekly podcast series from author Annie Fox (www.anniefox.com). 
Drive: The Surprising Truth about What Motivates Us, by Daniel Pink. Riverhead, 2009. Pink asserts that the key to high performance is internal motivation. Since we are basically curious and self-directed, the way to motivate is to build more on autonomy (desire to be self-directed), on mastery (desire to get better and better at something that matters), and on purpose (desire to be part of something larger than ourselves). Everybody working on real world problems that are relevant? How so? An interesting perspective for parents, children’s and youth ministries, and teachers.--Compiled by Jane Schuyler, the congregational support specialist for the Reformed Church in America. Contact Jane at jschuyler@rca.org; (800) 968-6065.
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