Considering Chemistry

Well, I had more preliminary things that felt like they needed saying, but Instagram overwhelming voted to Get On to the Books, Already! So here we are. I will just say that following multiple streams of science in the high school years requires a little forethought, not just about which books to use, but how to schedule them, i.e., don't leave all the hard ones for the same year, or overload one year with too many pages worth of reading and not enough time for observation, experimentation, and notebooking. Even if you decide to utilize textbooks, there is no rule that says they must be completed in year or, indeed, that they have to be completed at all. But we'll get those in a bit. Also, definitely do not take it that your student should read *all* the books in this post for a Full Credit of Chemistry or some such silliness. I'm just trying to help people choose by giving options and discussing a few pros and cons. 

If you'd like to follow a more living book approach, there are lots of options, so I'll touch on the few I'm most familiar with here: 

First up is Crucibles: The Story of Chemistry, I have the updated fourth edition, by Bernard Jaffee. This book is subtitled From Ancient Alchemy to Nuclear Fission, and as suggested, it tells the history of chemical discovery through biographical chapters of scientists and discoverers. It is the most systematic coverage of chemistry of the books listed in this post, and yet it is still very readable. This is a fantastic way to learn - through the stories of real people who had real triumphs as well as real failures. It is somewhat similar to The Mystery of the Periodic Table, written for adults. The chronological organization helps the reader slowly build up chemical knowledge and vocabulary. This is a very "CM" title; it is interesting and engaging, and it would be a good fit for a child willing to put in the work of extracting the important concepts, and lends itself well to narration. The main downside is the lack of illustrations or diagrams in the book, so supplementation is needed, as well as lab work, if one wanted to make a lab course using this book as the spine. 

Napoleon's Buttons: 17 Molecules that Changed History by Penny Le Couteur. If you're familiar with Ambleside Online you'll recognize this book as part of their Year 8 science curriculum, but it too is definitely high school level. My eldest three children and myself all enjoyed this book, it is a great living title, covering an interesting mix of science and history, explaining the chemistry of the commonplace. However, when it came to my fourth child, she read a couple chapters over a term before declaring to me that she "didn't understand it, and hadn't learned one thing." A little more probing and we discovered that she did not have the foundation necessary to understand it - she had little concept of atoms and almost no idea of bonds and molecules. It is true that she had read The Mystery of the Periodic Table just two years before in AO year 6, but it seemed she hadn't given that book the attention it was due either. We paused Napoleon and chose a short text to fill those foundational gaps, but all that to say - you might want to make sure your student is prepared for this book if you choose to include it in your school. This title definitely deserves a pre-read, or at least a perusal of the possible problem areas, which Ambleside Online has so helpfully noted here.

That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles: 62 All-New Commentaries on the Fascinating Chemistry of Everyday Life by Dr. Joe Schwarcz. This is an even more "popular science" title than the last and may be a good fit for students whose interests lie elsewhere than in the sciences, but who still need either a wide feast spread before them, or a requirement met.  Conversely, perusal of this book might inspire a student's interest in something they hadn't previously considered and spark new love for chemistry. The biggest downside to this book, in my opinion, is that it is only loosely organized; however the chapters are short and the reading easy, devoid of technical jargon. I have only skimmed this title, and that not recently, so I cannot speak to any inappropriate/objectionable material, and therefore I recommend pre-reading it first, as there may be things to note for discussion or skipping.

Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a Chemical Boyhood by Oliver Sacks. An enjoyable memoir that highlighted the ways Sacks' curiosity and interest in science led him to experiment with and understand the nature of many common elements and chemicals. I felt much respect for his parents while reading this, for the ways in which they both encouraged his interest, and (mostly) tolerated his blowing stuff up. Interspersed with his own life, he highlights the discoveries of scientists like Davy, Dalton, and Curie. This is a great title for picking up important scientific concepts effortlessly. 

There are two things to note in this title: Sacks occasionally gets off track writing. In chapter 19 he describes his first org*sm (at a young age, randomly by himself in a pool). In chapter 22 he casually mentions how his mother (in a midwifery capacity) occasionally drowned disabled/malformed newborns. For sensitive readers, these chapters could both be skipped without detriment to the overall story, but for mature readers, I highly recommend this title. </>

      

Finally, I want to suggest Theodore Gray's fantastic trio of books: The Elements, Molecules, and Reactions. Again, if you're familiar with AO's Year 6, you might recognize The Elements, but don't let its placement, or the plentitude of photographs fool you - this book (and the other two) was written for adults. In The Elements, Gray looks at each of the 118 elements in turn and discusses their properties, their common (and uncommon) forms, and how they are most often used (or not). There's also a short section at the beginning of the book about the format of the periodic table and how it got that way, that acts as a helpful primer. The second book, Molecules, explores (according to the jacket flap): "the most interesting, essential, useful, and beautiful of the missions of chemical structures that make up every material in the world." But you'll learn some scientific concepts here too, if you wish: he begins with a discussion of how atoms bond to form molecules and compounds, and organic vs. inorganic chemistry. Gray then goes on to explore soaps and solvents, goops and oils, rocks and ores, smells and colors. Parents should be aware that Gray purposely addresses drugs (legal and illegal), sweeteners (natural and artificial), and controversial compounds. Again, this is an adult book, and some of his comments may be unsuitable for younger students, and you may not agree with his conclusions on opioids, Splenda, thimerosal, or CFCs. I recommend pre-reading, at least those sections of most concern. Reactions, the final book, is a recent acquisition of mine, and as such I've not had the time to peruse is very thoroughly, but it purports to demonstrate how molecules interact and change in essential ways, while explaining such chemical concepts as energy and entropy, and how time affects all. In all three books, Gray's enthusiasm for his subject shines through, and I feel like a student could learn a lot more from these books than from your average chemistry text.  Though the same could probably be said about all the books mentioned here today. 

Sidenote: my son will (most likely) be reading Molecules and Reactions, along with Drawing Physics and some labs/experiments/demonstrations for a high school credit of Physical Science. Just thought I'd mention it in case that option appeals to someone else as well. Remember that if your students are looking to apply to college, they will probably need to show some type of lab credit. This doesn't have to be as hard as it sounds! But that's a topic for another post. 

ETA: None of these links are affiliate links - I make absolutely no money off this masterpiece of a blog, lol. They are simply there for your ease - to quickly get a bit more info about a book. I ALWAYS recommend shopping around, buying second hand, and supporting small businesses. <3 

Anno's China

Guys, a super exciting thing happened to me the other day: the lovely people from Beautiful Feet Books contacted me (on Instagram, follow them, and me - @bibliobites) and asked if I would like to review their newly released picture book, Anno's China. This makes me feel like I'm some big time blogger or reviewer, instead of some little old nobody SAHM who is doing this for the first time! But shh! Don't tell them that I don't know what I am doing, and maybe they will send me more books!

I was introduced to Mitsumasa Anno some years ago by MommaofMany who was appalled - appalled, I say - to find that I was not familiar with his work. I have obviously learned better since then, and am now the happy owner of Anno's Counting Book (part of my preschool curric, more on that later!), Anno's USA, Anno's Italy. Anno's Magic Seeds, and Anno's Medieval World, besides China. While the "geography" or country books are my favorites, I think Anno's China is fast becoming my new favorite, and I will tell you why.

First, I will say that I was almost disappointed when I pulled this book out of the envelope, because although it was a hardcover with crisp new dust jacket, it seemed to me that everything seemed a bit fuzzy, like when my home printer needs to be aligned. China did not look the same as the other books I owned. And I was surprised, because I actually own an abundance of  publications by Beautiful Feet Books and have never felt their quality to be lacking before. Then I remembered that the illustrations were SUPPOSED to be watercolors, which OF COURSE have a fuzzy, ethereal quality to them, by virtue of the media. Which made me wonder why Anno's other books, by other publishers look like they were illustrated in children's markers. I am not here to run anyone else down, all the books are lovely, but - this one by BF books may be a more accurate representation of the artist's original intentions.

But enough about that, here's the real reason why I love this book so much, are your ready for this? It has an index or appendix explaining what you're seeing in each scene! I know, right? But maybe you're not familiar with Anno's books, and if so, let me explain.

Anno's country books are wordless picture books, wherein Anno (always dressed in blue, with a pointy cap) journeys across a geographic area such as the Italy or the United States, and sometimes across time. There's an amazing amount of detail, but sometimes, unless you know what you're looking at, you don't know what you're seeing.

When I first pulled this book out of my mailbox, I thought, let me sit down an look at it real quick. Oh boy. You'd think I would have known better, right? There is no "quick look" with Anno's books. As soon as I opened it, I was drawn in- the beginning scenes were so calm and peaceful and I recognized men fishing with cormorants, like we'd learned about in Ping! But soon I began to feel a little frustrated. I could recognize that the author was taking us up river, but I wondered if this was a famous village I was supposed to recognize? What were those people doing? What did *that* mean? I simply did not know enough about Chinese culture and traditions to appreciate all that this book contained.

But then, THEN, my friends - I found the index. The lovely, 9 page index, PLUS an author's note, that carefully explained each scene, without becoming tedious, and still leaving much for the reader to discover on their own. This is the ONLY one of my Anno books that has this feature, which leads me to believe it is something that Beautiful Feet put together, or included, though it is written from the author's point of view; and it is, in my opinion, what makes this book amazing instead of only great, and definitely worth having. When I'm finally finished oogling it, my next step is going to be to figure out where I can fit it in to my curriculum...

*As aforementioned, I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I have received no other compensation. Links to Amazon are not affiliate links, I receive no monies for recommending good books to y'all, I just like to see people reading. ;)

Year 4 science

Last year when I was planning our upcoming lessons, I challenged myself to create a science curriculum with what I had on hand. It was fun to do, and as we are now winding up our school year, it has occurred to me that I chose pretty well, and so I thought I'd share.

Spring and Summer and Fall and Winter in North Carolina Forests 

I've wanted to use these books in our school for along time, but I always chose Burgess books instead. But these were an excellent way to sort of "force" nature study, because so many of the plants and animals could be found right in our yard, so that as we read about them, we also went out to go see them, as much as possible. I liked that these books covered not only birds and mammals, but some reptiles and amphibians, as well as plants, mushrooms, and even discussed a bit of astronomy and geology. Spring and Summer has 33 chapters, and might have done well enough for the whole year, but I liked the other book so much as well that I squeezed both into our 36 weeks. The chapters were an easy read for our ten year old son, were illustrated nicely, and were written from a Christian point of view (published by Rod & Staff). I suspect that even though it SAYS North Carolina, any one living in the Appalachian areas of Virginia, Tennessee, and South Carolina would find it useful.  

The Friar Who Grew Peas, Snowflake Bentley, and The Boy Who Drew Birds

Next I wanted to include some biographies of naturalists and biologists. I actually purchased the Audubon one, because I'd wanted it forever, but I had the others on hand already. For some students three might have been enough, but I chose six for this year, 2 each term, or one every 6 weeks. If you're not familiar with these picture book biographies, please become so. Each one is a true living book, with a wealth of ideas easily dished up, and beautiful to behold.

Listening to Crickets, John Muir: My Life with Nature, and George Washington Carver

These three biographies are short chapter books, and I included them mostly to 1, keep my boy busy, in a good way, and 2. introduce him to naturalists whose works he would very soon be reading on his own. They did the job, but no need to rush out and buy them.

A Drop of Water, and How to Think Like a Scientist 

Finally, I wanted to include these two books because I just liked them so much. Drop of Water is an amazing book of photography that will inspire you to look a little more closely at a substance that covers 70% of our planet. It also encourages readers to "wonder why" and guides them through a few simple experiments in order that one might see for ones self. Think Like a Scientist is a great first logic book, which is somewhat of a pet subject for me. It is so important to me that my children learn to think logically and soundly, to discern strong evidence from weak, and to argue fairly. My son will not study logic formally for a few years yet, but this book is a great introduction.  

His "work" included nature notebook entries, biography narrations, and the suggested activities from the latter two books, and I think we had a pretty successful year. Check back soon for notes on what is in store for him in Year 5!

Review: Flame Over Tara

 
Flame Over Tara by Madeline Polland

This book has been on my radar (and my bookshelf!) for a long time, but I have only now gotten around to reading it . And now that I've finished, I have to say that THIS is how historical fiction, and especially Christian historical fiction, should be written. I can't tell you how many books I've had to put down because the characters, and especially their conversation, were so wholly unbelievable. I know a lot of Christians, but I don't know any who quote whole sections of scripture during casual speech, complete with the "address" tacked on to the end, or who model the sinner's prayer to every unbeliever they meet. Who DOES that? No one.

Then there is the historical aspect - I do not appreciate characters whose thoughts and/or actions seem totally out of tune with their time or place. I believe one has to earn the title of historical; just setting your story "sometime in the past" does not historical fiction make.

Granted, it should have been easy enough to tell this story without unnecessary embellishment. In it, 13 year old Macha and her foster brother Benet encounter the Bishop Patrick upon his arrival to Ireland. Much of Patrick's work in Ireland is know to history, largely through his own letters and writing. In them, his faith and character shine through, hence my comment that no embellishment is needed.

But Polland's other characters are equally well thought out in this story. The quiet trust of Benet, the confused Macha and her affianced, Kiann; Macha's honorable father, and the thoughtful King. The omniscient point of view allows a glimpse into all their thoughts, and the reader finds it easy to understand and sympathize with them.   

 I also appreciated that, as in many of Polland's other writings, the romance is only hinted at. Yes, a wedding is in the future, and yes, the two involved actually care for each other, but there are no drawn out passages of angst or longing or details of passion, making a safe book in that respect for readers or listeners of any age.

Many of the well legends about Patrick are included in this story, which could be viewed as either pro or con, depending on how strictly you define your history. I thought it all worked well, except the part about the shamrock, which felt a little forced and sloppy.

The only real fault I found with this story is that it felt to me like it ended too abruptly. I like to think I've gotten over my childhood desire to know *exactly* what happened next - I no longer need to know the details of the wedding dress or the names of the grandchildren. The early conflict in the story - that Macha had run away to follow Patrick, angering both her father and fiance, who felt she had been stolen by the strange Roman - was quickly and easily settled. The rest of the story dealt simultaneously with the larger conflicts Macha trying to reconcile her twin desires of following God and marrying Kian, and of Patrick winning over the pagan island, all leading up to his confrontation with the king's Druid priests, which occurred in the final chapter. The reader is given less than the last two pages to see how Macha and Kiann will go forth. Not enough, I say!

Last year, during our Eastern Hemisphere studies, I read aloud Mission to Cathay, also by Madeline Polland, and we enjoyed it immensely for good writing and well drawn out characters mentioned above, combined with the added bonus of a little mystery. Soon, I will begin City of the Golden House  in conjunction with our Roman studies (look for a separate post on that book soon-ish). And soon after that, I hope to share Flame Over Tara with my children. Because the only thing that can make a good book better is sharing it.

Ancient Rome in Literature

The past few weeks in our homeschool have seen the decline of Greece and the Rise of Rome, and our booklist has shifted accordingly. There are history books aplenty  - and good ones at that - covering this time period, so I'll not dwell on those now. But I wanted to share with you a few of our fiction/literature selections, because, well, they're just so good I can't help myself!

Brave Cloelia by Jane Louise Curry - Long been one of our favorite picture books, the story of Cloelia, a young Roman hostage whose fearlessness and cleverness made her a national heroine, comes from Livy.

A Triumph for Flavius by Caroline Dale Snedeker -  a short tale from the time Rome's heyday, this story could be easily read by my eight yer old. However, when I read it aloud, everyone - from the 4 to the 12 year old - listens in.









The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth Speare - The 1962 Newbery Award winner, this classic story of the bitter Daniel's life changing encounters with Jesus has become a staple of school curriculum everywhere.








Twice Freed by Patricia St. John -  tucked in among Paul the Apostle's longer epistles, is a short letter to Philemon, encouraging him to seek restoration with his runaway slave, Onesimus. This is Patricia St. John's story of how it all might have happened.  







City of the Golden House by Madeline Polland - I haven't finished this book yet, but what I've read is SO good. The young and lame Diomedes and his British slave, Gretorix, are curious to learn more about the new sect of Christians, and the rumored healings of one Peter, but times are dangerous in Nero's Rome.





 
In Search of a Homeland: The Story of the Aeneid by Penelope Lively - this description of the Aenied from Wikipedia pretty much sums it up: Virgil took the disconnected tales of Aeneas' wanderings...and fashioned [them] into a compelling founding myth or national epic that at once tied Rome to the legends of Troy, explained the Punic wars, glorified traditional Roman virtues and legitimized the Julio-Claudian dynasty as descendants of the founders, heroes and gods of Rome and Troy. Livey's version is easily understood and enjoyed by both young children and adults.

The Which and Whyfore of Mother Goose

When I was a young mother, I did not enjoy nursery rhymes overly much. I thought they were nonsense; at best not worthwhile, and at worst, difficult to explain to my very literal daughter who wanted to know what everything meant. I figured they were just something used to keep young children busy at preschool.  Then I started reading about how nursery rhymes aid in teh development of language. And I started thinking about how they are part of our cultural heritage, how without a knowledge of them, our children will  miss references in literature and popular culture. Like when Basil Crawford infuriated Mary by singing "Mistress Mary, quite contrary" in The Secret Garden. Or realizing that Pa Ingalls wasn't just making things up on the banks of Plum Creek when he sang,  

 "Mary put the dishes on,
The dishes on, the dishes on,
Mary put the dishes on,
We'll all take tea!"

But that it actually came from the old rhyme, Polly Put the Kettle on. Furthermore, all the experts agree that the rhyming patterns and vocabulary of Mother Goose are beneficial to language acquisition.  All this to say, your children will love nursery rhymes and become baby geniuses if you read some Mother Goose to them. Which begs the question, which version to buy???

The content of any two Mother Goose or Nursery Rhyme books will mostly be the same; however, there are one or two things regarding the text to keep in mind when choosing one:

1. It is mighty handy to have some sort of alphabetical title index, so you don't have thumb through/skim all 250 rhymes to find Little Bo Peep. Again. 
2. There are some variations in wording among these rhymes. If you are able, you may want to look up one or two of your favorites or most well known ones, and see if they are the same in the book you are considering. In one of my books, after falling down the hill, Jack  

"Went to bed to mend his head"

 But in another, he went

 "To old Dame Dob, who patched his nob."

After that, the only other consideration is which illustrations you like best. Here is my list of eight that I believe are worthy of consideration.

1. Lavender's Blue - This was the first book of nursery rhymes I ever bought for my children, and I chose it because it was the only one in print at the time with the type of vintage illustrations that I love. Harold Jones' pictures are reminiscent of Kate Greenway's, and we have really enjoyed them. There is an index of first lines in the back, as well as some hints on "games" to play with the rhymes - think: This Little Piggy. 

The pages alternate between black and white and full color. My copy is hardcover, which I feel is a necessary investment for a book that is sure to be much-handled and well-loved.

2. The Real Mother Goose illustrated by Blanche Fisher Wright. This book is the one suggested or included in several popular homeschool curriculum. I (ok, my kids) were gifted a hardcover copy by a very good friend many years ago. I will admit that initially, I did not care for the illustrations, but they have grown on me since then. The pictures are all in color, and every fourth page boasts a full page spread.

 The biggest problem I have with this book is that there is no index. There is a table of contents, but since there is no rhyme or reason to the way the poems are placed, it really doesn't do any good. There are 272 rhymes on over 120 pages - it would be nice not to have to flip through the entire thing in search of a particular one.

  The third and last copy I (currently) own is Marguerite de Angeli's Book of Nursery and Mother Goose Rhymes. Besides the fact that I am a huge fan of everything de Angeli has done (note to self: future blog post), I had the added bonus of purchasing this book for a mere $0.75 at a local Goodwill store. I gotta tell you, I just love treasure hunting!

There are A TON of rhymes in this volume - over 180 pages worth, with an alphabetical index in the back. The illustrations are mostly pencil drawings, some full sized, and about 20 full-color, full-page pictures. If you can get your hands on one of these, I do not think you would be disappointed. 

4. The Arnold Lobel Book of Mother Goose - apparently this was once published as The Random House Book of Mother Goose, so if you find that, you'll be getting the same thing. I bought this at a used book store recently, intending to give it to a friend who is expecting her first baby, but I am afraid I will have a hard time giving it up! Lobel's illustrations always have a nostalgic feeling and calming affect, despite their brightness and fun.

(If you're seeing that image upside-down, I cannot for my life figure out why, or how to change it.) There is an alphabetical index of first lines in the back, all pictures are in color, many full page. Seriously, I think I need my own copy.

These next few books are ones I do not own, because even I exercise restrain *some*time. But they are all illustrated by popular, well loved artists, and would be excellent additions to any library.

5. The Jessie Wilcox Smith Mother Goose  - Smith, one of "the most prominent female illustrators in the United States during the Golden Age of American Illustration," created the kind of soft look that works so well in children's books, without being overly sweet or sentimental, in the way some of her predecessors.  My favorite versions of Heidi and A Child's Garden of Verses are adorned with her illustrations.

6. Tomie de Paola's Mother Goose - it seems that people either love Tomie, or hate him, but if you love him, why not pick up this book? In fact, I have a strong suspicion that this one IS actually hiding around my house somewhere...Simple and colorful, most children {heart} Tomie's illustrations.

 
 
7. Mother Goose by Tasha Tudor - Do not think that being last on my list means least! Caldecott Honoree Tasha Tudor may be one of the most loved modern illustrators. Her nostalgic depictions of smiling children and happy families have me picking up her books whenever I find them, for the illustrations alone, wholly regardless of the written content. And while her volume of Mother Goose does not appear to be currently in print, I do not believe it is that hard to find.
                                 
                                           

So - if you don't already have one of these fine volumes, go get one. And no, those are NOT Amazon affiliate links, so feel free to buy them from whomever you please ;)

The Further Chronicles of Avonlea

I set out three days ago to write a review on The Wind the Willows and here my web browsers sits, still open to a new - but totally blank - post. And since I have a policy of not fighting against the muses, I've decided to indefinitely postpone said post, and begin a new one on the book I have just this afternoon finished reading: The Further Chronicles of Avonlea. If you are a fan of Anne-with-an-E of Green Gables, the name Avonlea ought to be familiar to you. And if you know me in real life, you may know that I am a fan, and even named my youngest daughter Avonlea. And, if you're a fan, and I'm a fan, that makes us "kindred spirits," and possibly "of the race that knows Joseph," and we ought to get a long swell.

Anyway, back to the book. The Further Chronicles of Avonlea is actually a companion volume to - wait for it - The Chronicles of Avonlea which, I will admit, I've not read. Yet. The Further Chronicles is a volume of 15 short stories that take place in and around Avonlea, and in which Anne has only a small mention. Being a true Anne Fan, this kept me from these beautiful stories for far too long. But my prejudice was unwarranted, and as I finished the book today, what struck me was the beauty of true love, honor, duty, and faith shining through them.

The first two stories, "Aunt Cynthia's Persian Cat" and "The Materializing of Cecil" seem to be just for fun; not bad, but I'm not sure I could have take a whole book of their frivolity either. And chapter five, "The Dream Child," in which a young woman loses her infant son, goes nearly crazy hearing his cries in the dark, only to one night come upon a cast away child that restores her health and her faith, was a little haunting for this mama. But then there is "Her father's Daughter," "Jane's Baby," and "The Son of His Mother" which so beautifully portrayed the dangers of stubbornness and the importance of forgiveness between husband and wife, sisters, and mother and son.

Familial love and relationships are foremost in all, and the cultivation of what is right and good and true in ones character is held the highest esteem, as in "The Education of Betty" and "The Conscience Case of David Bell."  Indeed, L.M. Montgomery's heroes and heroines, whatever their faults, are never 'petty,' and strive for the integrity and nobleness of character that has sadly fallen out of fashion in today's world. 

But most beautiful, I felt, were the stories in The Further Chronicles which had characters setting aside their own desires and even needs to "esteem others as more important than themselves." Men like Robert Monroe in "The Brother Who Failed," who sacrificed time, money, and opportunities, to boost his five younger siblings to success (both worldly and otherwise) and to care for his neighbors when no one else would, prompting his aunt to realize that, " 'There's a kind of failure that's the best success.' "  And Eunice Carr, who looked after her brother in his life and his death. People like Miss Emily Leith and the 'common' Mark Foster who loved their respective loves enough to let them go. All the best that the human spirit is capable of shine through in these short, simple stories, and I'm sure I will return them again and again in years to come, both for my own pleasure and to read to my children; for in character training, one can never have too many models of what is honorable set before them.

"We both belong to the race that knows Joseph, as Cornelia Bryant would say."
" 'The race that knows Joseph?' " puzzled Anne. 
"Yes. Cornelia divides all the folks in the world into two kinds - the race that knows Joseph and the race that don't. If a person sorter sees eye to eye with you, has pretty much the same ideas about things, and the same taste in jokes - why, the he belongs to the race that knows Joseph."
"Oh, I understand," exclaimed Anne, light breaking in upon her. "It's what I used to call - and still call in quotation marks - 'kindred spirits.' "

from Anne's House of Dreams