Get your FFRREEEEE Moody book......

[FloraDoraDolly]

I wondered that too, but as you say, it shouldn't be left to the reader to infer that is why Mrs. Moody is hardly ever present.

Speaking of that, a question for anyone who has read any of the other Moody books: Is Mrs. Moody more present in those books? Is it because she is preggers in book #1 that she is off in her room so much?

I've read four of those books. Mrs. Moody is not present in any of them. Once the twins are born, she's always in the other room nursing them or taking a nap because they were awake all night crying.

[FundieFarmer]

I've read four of those books. Mrs. Moody is not present in any of them. Once the twins are born, she's always in the other room nursing them or taking a nap because they were awake all night crying.

I think I'd be awake all night crying if I had to live with Mrs. Maxwell.

Oops, I mean Moody.

[treemom]

Oh, honey. Get with the program. All religions other than the Church of Stevehovah are verboten. They would ask you to take the "Good Person Test." A set up for failure for everybody.

I have big problems with the Good Person Test. Apparently I am condemned to hell fire because I look upon my (legally and religiously, although I am now an atheist and he is now agnostic) husband with lust. And without the possibility of procreating post-menopause.

I will burn in the fires of Hell for Eternity !!!!!!eleventy!!!!!!!

Actually when I was asked by Anna where I went to church and replied I was Jewish the shocked look on her face was enough I had to actually think to myself to not laugh. I am not sure she had ever met anyone who was Jewish.

The best answer to the good person test is just, "I don't believe it" or "God set up the terms in the beginning and I think he is an asshole"

[ILoveJellybeans]

Don't knock it till you've tried it. Your cat may have mopped the garage while you were gone, and your dog would have cleaned the entire kitchen and blessed the neighbours as well.

I think mine went the other way. I let the Maxwell family pet sit my snake, and this morning he offered me an apple.

[PearlKrabs]

I popped over to Summer with the Moody's Amazon page to see what the reviews were doing. Looks like there are an even number of 1 star and 5 star reviews. I hope that piques the interest of an unaware shopper and prompts them to read the reviews.

I started remembering the book. I got up, went to the fridge, and slathered more butter on the slice of bread I was eating.

Other posters here have talked about the part where a child was told to put back food they wanted to eat. I just wanted to say that part of the book actually troubled me. If a child wants to eat, let them eat! They're growing and playing (or in the Moody kids' case- working) and are burning off calories like it's nothing. It wasn't a junk dessert, it was real food that he had every intention of eating.

Also troubling- He was told on by his little sister. These kids are policing each other on how much food they take at the table to gain favor with their parents. :( I think 'gulag' is the perfect way to describe that house.

I wanted to work it into the review, but I didn't think I could explain why it bothered me without talking about the Maxwell family.

[nausicaa]

Actually when I was asked by Anna where I went to church and replied I was Jewish the shocked look on her face was enough I had to actually think to myself to not laugh. I am not sure she had ever met anyone who was Jewish.

The best answer to the good person test is just, "I don't believe it" or "God set up the terms in the beginning and I think he is an asshole"

I wish I could have seen Anna's face when you said that. I'm not too surprised though, remember Catholics are a rare and exotic species to the Maxwells.

But seriously, when they go out and proselytize at places like the fair, they must get a few people who say "Oh eff off." I wonder how the Maxwell kids handle that. I used to volunteer at a food bank and a few times had to stand outside a grocery store during food drives, with little checklists of food we were in need of to hand out to customers walking into the store. Pretty inoffensive stuff, yet even then I had a few people tell me to "get the eff out of my face" or just argue with me about the organization and what we were doing. I can't imagine the sort of push back proselytizers get.

[nomoxian]

I popped over to Summer with the Moody's Amazon page to see what the reviews were doing. Looks like there are an even number of 1 star and 5 star reviews. I hope that piques the interest of an unaware shopper and prompts them to read the reviews.

I started remembering the book. I got up, went to the fridge, and slathered more butter on the slice of bread I was eating.

Other posters here have talked about the part where a child was told to put back food they wanted to eat. I just wanted to say that part of the book actually troubled me. If a child wants to eat, let them eat! They're growing and playing (or in the Moody kids' case- working) and are burning off calories like it's nothing. It wasn't a junk dessert, it was real food that he had every intention of eating.

Also troubling- He was told on by his little sister. These kids are policing each other on how much food they take at the table to gain favor with their parents. :( I think 'gulag' is the perfect way to describe that house.

I wanted to work it into the review, but I didn't think I could explain why it bothered me without talking about the Maxwell family.

Perhaps you could say something like "With a rise in young people suffering from conditions like Anorexia, I don't think this is healthy or a positive storyline for children. I was hoping the Moody books could be a stand-alone lesson, without the need for me to step in and discuss why certain things they were doing are inappropriate. I would rather my children, at their young and impressionable age, not be exposed to such things in the first place!"

[twin2]

I popped over to Summer with the Moody's Amazon page to see what the reviews were doing. Looks like there are an even number of 1 star and 5 star reviews. I hope that piques the interest of an unaware shopper and prompts them to read the reviews.

I started remembering the book. I got up, went to the fridge, and slathered more butter on the slice of bread I was eating.

Other posters here have talked about the part where a child was told to put back food they wanted to eat. I just wanted to say that part of the book actually troubled me. If a child wants to eat, let them eat! They're growing and playing (or in the Moody kids' case- working) and are burning off calories like it's nothing. It wasn't a junk dessert, it was real food that he had every intention of eating.

Also troubling- He was told on by his little sister. These kids are policing each other on how much food they take at the table to gain favor with their parents. :( I think 'gulag' is the perfect way to describe that house.

I wanted to work it into the review, but I didn't think I could explain why it bothered me without talking about the Maxwell family.

I must have glared over that part in a state of boredom, what happened?

[twin2]

Screw the animal crackers! I want chocolate cake!!

That is acceptable, provided said chocolate cake is decorated with animal crackers with frosting and sprinkles on top.

[Palimpsest]

I must have glared over that part in a state of boredom, what happened?

He sinned by taking more than the approved amount of butter for his muffin. Maddy tattled so he apologized and put the butter back.

[VodouDoll]

I must have glared over that part in a state of boredom, what happened?

One of the kids spread his muffin with butter and then had to beg his mother for forgiveness for using the amount of butter he wanted. She told him it gladdens her heart when he repents and she and Jesus forgave him for eating the food she'd set out on the table for him to eat.

Sarah actually used the word repent.

[twin2]

He sinned by taking more than the approved amount of butter for his muffin. Maddy tattled so he apologized and put the butter back.

Ah Ok, I read that post like it was something in addition to the butter thing. There were parts I read so fast because I just wanted it to be done. I did that for the trip to the dairy farm, but by then I was just too hard to keep reading.

[kpmom]

KIds do tell on each other, that is very typical kid behavior, so that part didn't bother me. I think the tattle tale was told not to do that. So, again, I didn't think that was objectionable.

Honestly, the ton of butter scenario didn't really bother me. I've probably had conversations almost exactly like that with my kids.

What did bother me was looking at that as something to repent for. Please. Kids, even older kids, don't always think about how much food they're taking. I don't think their brains work that way. It's a kid thing, not a sinner thing.

[Trynn]

I had similar conversations with my parents. As an adult I still thank taking "too much" butter on occasion is not that big of a deal.

[blessalessi]

KIds do tell on each other, that is very typical kid behavior, so that part didn't bother me. I think the tattle tale was told not to do that. So, again, I didn't think that was objectionable.

Honestly, the ton of butter scenario didn't really bother me. I've probably had conversations almost exactly like that with my kids.

What did bother me was looking at that as something to repent for. Please. Kids, even older kids, don't always think about how much food they're taking. I don't think their brains work that way. It's a kid thing, not a sinner thing.

I agree with all of this. I wouldn't want a small child piling on butter if there were other healthy things to eat too.

I would just find it more normal if the child said "Aw Mo-om" a bit grumpily as they put it back. :D

The emphasis on sin and repentance is massive, totally off the scale.

[Palimpsest]

Talking about the trip to the dairy farm, and I was skimming too by then, some annoying things:

- Mom didn't tell them where they were going and use the car trip to educate. Nah, the suspense was supposed to teach them something. I forget what. Control issues much?

- They decide to work on their memory verses in the car. I don't expect the Maxwells Moodys to play Pub Cricket* or count Walmart trucks or anything, but why not have a pleasant conversation with your children as you drive.

- The only excitement was Maddy needing to go potty. Big yawn.

- Maddy not allowed to get upset when evil stranger kid drank her milk.

- The whole treatment of evil stranger kid.

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sign_cricket

ETA description of pub cricket

[Elegant Mess]

- They decide to work on their memory verses in the car. I don't expect the Maxwells Moodys to play Pub Cricket or count Walmart trucks or anything, but why not have a pleasant conversation with your children as you drive.

- Maddy not allowed to get upset when evil stranger kid drank her milk.

Well, this is the Maxwells Moodys, so a pleasant conversation in the car might be FUN, and Maddy might make an idol out of milk. They can't have that happening, can they? :)

[16strong]

Is there anything that the Maxwells don't repent for? Do they honestly believe that their very existence is sinful?

[twin2]

Talking about the trip to the dairy farm, and I was skimming too by then, some annoying things:

- Mom didn't tell them where they were going and use the car trip to educate. Nah, the suspense was supposed to teach them something. I forget what. Control issues much?

- They decide to work on their memory verses in the car. I don't expect the Maxwells Moodys to play Pub Cricket* or count Walmart trucks or anything, but why not have a pleasant conversation with your children as you drive.

- The only excitement was Maddy needing to go potty. Big yawn.

- Maddy not allowed to get upset when evil stranger kid drank her milk.

- The whole treatment of evil stranger kid.

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sign_cricket

ETA description of pub cricket

The one thing I do remember about the diary farm, other then to inane level of detail on the different colors of caps they put on the milk, was Sarah, basically implying the mom with the bad kid were because they were not Christians like the good Moody's. She didn't say it, but that jumped across the page to me. Every time the do something 'good' in the presence of others, the first reaction is for the others to say "You must be Christian!" Sarah seems incapable of comprehending that good does not equal christian, and christian does not equal good.

[sparkles]

The one thing I do remember about the diary farm, other then to inane level of detail on the different colors of caps they put on the milk, was Sarah, basically implying the mom with the bad kid were because they were not Christians like the good Moody's. She didn't say it, but that jumped across the page to me. Every time the do something 'good' in the presence of others, the first reaction is for the others to say "You must be Christian!" Sarah seems incapable of comprehending that good does not equal christian, and christian does not equal good.

I had the same take on it as well.

[mango_fandango]

Well, this is the Maxwells Moodys, so a pleasant conversation in the car might be FUN, and Maddy might make an idol out of milk. They can't have that happening, can they? :)

I know people will have spotted this, but a major giveaway that the Moodys are the Maxwells is that Max's real name is Maxwell, described as a "family name". Well, defined as a family name in the "Meet the Characters" section on the Summer with the Moodys page on the blog.

Also another point indicating Sarah's lack of imagination: the book titles themselves. Fair enough with the first four, but then the next four having the exact same name with "days" added? Good grief. Fair enough book 9 is "Exciting Times with the Moodys".... except it's not exciting. If the most exciting thing to happen in your life is brats exploding, you need to get out more... oh wait, there are ebil heathens outside. Can't have the perfect(ly boring) Moody kids mixing with others.

[treemom]

I have gotten Summer with the moodys using kindle unlimited. How long before I contemplate whether I should go on living?

[twin2]

I have gotten Summer with the moodys using kindle unlimited. How long before I contemplate whether I should go on living?

About 2 chapters. I suggest making a drinking game out of it.

Take a shot everytime:

1) The Moody kids work on scripture memory

2) Mom is up in her room

3) The kids self-correct themselves

4) Dad is condescending to a stranger

5) The kids ask the parent why the Lord is going to send them a new baby

6) The Dad chastises them

You'll be shnokered by chapter 5, which should make the rest of it more readable.

[twin2]

I had the same take on it as well.

That chapter was almost as if it was written intentionally like that, so it would just beg a child to ask a parent "that child is bad and his mom can't make him be good because they are not christians, right?"

[Palimpsest]

The one thing I do remember about the diary farm, other then to inane level of detail on the different colors of caps they put on the milk, was Sarah, basically implying the mom with the bad kid were because they were not Christians like the good Moody's. She didn't say it, but that jumped across the page to me. Every time the do something 'good' in the presence of others, the first reaction is for the others to say "You must be Christian!" Sarah seems incapable of comprehending that good does not equal christian, and christian does not equal good.

Well, Sarah is totally brainwashed.

I wonder when Steve will come out with a statement on the Duggar situation. You know, Jim Dob is that good Christian man who endorses Maxwell books, and Steve lets his precious childults go to Duggar weddings.

I always get the impression that Steve is bourgeois and respects the laws unlike some of our other Fundies, I think he will drop the Duggars like a hot potato and remove Jim Bob's endorsement ASAP. Without further comment.