When I tucked in my son, Camden (age 9), the other night, I could tell something was wrong. His eyes looked everywhere but at mine, he wasn't his usual chatty self, and his book was propped open to a page, though it was clear he was no longer reading it.

With a little motherly prodding, I soon discovered that the book he'd been reading had left him sad and a bit more emotional than he likes to be. This is the kid who prides himself on "never crying" when he gets hurt, and the fact that a book could create such an emotional response had him unsettled.

Without giving you the entire plot-line of the Warriors series, I'll give you a little frame of reference. The Warriors is an (incredibly long) series about cats — their clan-life, their society, their struggle for survival in the wild. (I survived reading the first six books aloud with Camden, and then he had to take over from there — while I enjoyed reading with him, there's only so much I can read about clan Gatherings and crowfood and cat battles.) Camden had come to a part of the series where the cats' present home — The Forest — was being destroyed and they all had to move to a new location. The book did turn rather sappy, dwelling on fond memories of their forest home, drawing out long good-byes from the cats…enough to make any devoted tween-age reader sentimental.

Camden, who had experienced his own mixed bag of feelings when we moved to our new home three years ago, was drawn right in to the emotion. And it was bothering him.

"Has a book ever made you really, really sad, Mom?" he asked.

Oh my, yes!

[spoiler alert]

I shared with him some of the many books that have made me cry over the years. Two of the most memorable were:

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe — I read this book so many times and cried every single time I got to the chapter where Aslan dies. And then I cried even harder when he came back. When we read the Narnia series aloud to Camden a few years ago, I had to hand the book to Chad (my husband) for those chapters, knowing I wouldn't be able to get through them tear-free.

Where the Red Fern Grows — This book I read only once, when I was about 11 or 12. But I sobbed — sobbed — at the end. It made such an impression on me; I can't remember ever crying so hard over a book before or since. Granted, I was a young girl, and a dog-loving young girl at that, and it didn't take much to push my emotional buttons.

Camden enjoyed hearing about my own reading-induced tears and appreciated knowing that he wasn't the only one so affected by books. Then he asked me, "Did you still like those books, even though they made you cry?"

I guess he thought that, in an attempt to avoid sadness, I would immediately classify those books as: Avoid At All Costs.

But it's quite the opposite. I wouldn't have cried while reading those, or any, books unless I cared for the characters, unless I'd been drawn completely into the story world and felt fully invested in what was happening. So surprisingly — to Camden, at least — the books that made me cry were probably some of my favorites. Not because they made me cry. But rather, I only cried because I liked them so much.

In my old age (ha-ha), I now rarely cry when I read fiction. It still happens occasionally, but I'm more likely to be moved to tears when reading non-fiction — a well-crafted account of sacrifice, honor, or redemption. The principle still holds true, though: it's the books where I am drawn in, captivated by characters and story alike, that touch my heart the most profoundly.

Has a book ever made you cry?

Katrina blogs at Callapidder Days, which she hosts the Spring Reading Thing, and the Fall into Reading Challenge, which will start this month.

I received this book from Zondervan and, having just completed reading it, I cannot recommend it highly enough. Earlier this year I read Zacharias' Walking from East to West (you can read my review here) and, although I had briefly encountered Zacharias' ministry, that was my first time to really engage with the man himself. I was impressed, inspired and encouraged. Hence I was eager to get my hands on another of his books.

The Grand Weaver is subtitled How God Shapes Us Through the Events of Our Lives. I don't know a person who couldn't stand a little encouragement that God has everything under control. In fact, God has purposefully orchestrated each one of our lives into little masterpieces. HIS masterpiece. We are each designed with purpose and feeling and made for His glory.

Zacharias addresses topics that are frequent areas of doubt for humans in general. From feeling bad about your body make-up, dealing with life's disappointments, searching for your calling and purpose in life and feeling stumped by the process, Zacharias faces each dart the enemy would throw our way to try to convince us that we are unworthy of our highest calling to love and be loved by Christ Jesus.

I finished this book and told my husband that I'm just a little bit shy of calling Zacharias the C.S. Lewis of our time. I'm certain that would cause a minor uproar but I'm leaning that direction. I like the way Zacharias thinks and makes his reader think. He is in pursuit of truth and explains his journeys and the conclusions he has landed on in a simple way for anyone to understand. He promotes thought and encourages his reader to press on to learn, to grow and to believe. I love this man. I'm grateful for his life and ministry.

I really cannot recommend this book more highly. Whether you are personally discouraged with your lot in life or just need a reminder that God is weaving a story in and through you that is most beautiful, I would strongly suggest you read this book. It was one of those books that wasn't long enough for my tastes as chapter after chapter inspired and comforted me.

Read it. Drink it in. Live it.

Carrie comes by her book obsession honestly, having descended from a long line of bibliophiles. She blogs about books regularly at Reading to Know.

Okay, I'll admit it: I'm no dog lover. Interesting, really, because we always had a dog growing up. My mom loves dogs and has never been long without a canine companion. Not me. There's only been one dog I have tolerated, our Belle, the golden retriever my husband purchased not long after we were married. She was the best kind of dog, never jumped up on anyone and even allowed my baby to crawl all over her. Such a good kind of dog that we allowed her to live in the house with us. Really, we did.

We no longer have Belle, dogless for several years now. However, I'd be lying if I said my boys wouldn't like another, especially my number three boy. But I remain adamant. I know how these things work. I've told them they can get a dog but after four boys (the good dog Belle notwithstanding), I have served my time with poop and pee.

We remain dogless.

But I digress. I am here to tell you about Allison Pittman's book Saturdays with Stella, a compilation of the lessons she learned at obedience school with her dog Stella. Allison writes with such obvious affection for Stella, it almost persuades a non-dog lover like me. Almost.

But whether you are a friend of man's best friend or not, there is much truth in Allison's observations. With humor and insight, she shares important lessons such as:

sit–at the feet of Jesus and listen for His voice
come–when the Master calls
stay–in His presence

This is no deep theological treatise, but rather a delightful metaphor of obedience as well as a thoughtful and sometimes funny tribute to Stella.

Read an excerpt of Stella's story here.

Wife and mother, Bible teacher and blogger, Lisa loves Jesus, coffee, dark chocolate and, of course, books. Read more of her reflections at Lisa writes….

When I was a teenager, my mother and I didn't always see eye to eye. I had my plans, and I felt my mother just didn't understand. Of course, she was simply trying to guide me through a difficult period as best she could, and she always had my best interests at heart. I feel certain that many young women and their mothers have had similar experiences.

Seventeen-year-old Irma Friedrich and her mother Willa are in the middle of this rocky time. Irma has her heart set on wowing crowds as a headliner attraction in Bill Cody's Wild West show, while Willa is determined that Irma will forget her pipe dream and attend finishing school as all refined young ladies should. When Mr. Friedrich intervenes and helps Irma land a role in the show, relationships in the Friedrich family unravel.

In Unbridled Dreams, Stephanie Grace Whitson spins a wonderful tale of forgiveness and reconciliation. Many of the characters are forced to examine their past and present relationships in light of these themes. One of the aspects of historical fiction that I enjoy is reading a timeless story within the setting of actual events. I enjoyed following Irma as her character developed and matured (she could have been a young lady in any time period), and I found the popular Wild West show, which featured such performers as Annie Oakley and her husband Frank Butler, and the life of Buffalo Bill Cody fascinating.

Although I felt the ending was a bit abrupt (I still had a few unanswered questions about some of the minor characters), Unbridled Dreams was a fun book to read with an excellent message. I was sad to see it come to an end. Stephanie Grace Whitson, a two time Christy award finalist, has written a touching story that will be enjoyed by many.

To read an excerpt from this book, click here.

Lauren is a wife, a mother of two, and an avid reader. She blogs at Baseballs and Bows.

I received three titles from the Nature Trails Books by Maurice Pledger published by Silver Dolphin. I've been looking for beginning science books for my 2 year old and these books looked very promising. These particular books are targeted for kids ages 4 and up (for the most part) and I wasn't sure that we'd be making good use of them now or if they would be something we would need to wait on reading.

In short, my two year old was instantly interested in these books. These books are interactive and fun. There are textures to feel, fold-out pages scattered throughout and are wonderfully illustrated. The pages are a little busy but that didn't prevent my son from wanting to point out and talk about the various animals that he saw. This is a great series. I like the fact that the illustrations catch his present attention for the simplistic aspect of this book (animal identification) and yet it's still a series he can grow into over time, continually gleaning from the information offered about the individual animals, their habitats and traits.

Each page is descriptive in content and explanation. Every animal is identified and, as mentioned, there are textures scattered throughout. We stayed busy with these books for a little while. Our favorite was the Hiding in the Woods title, specifically because of the deer. We live on the outskirts of town and frequently have deer running through our yard which is a highlight of our day, of course. Finding them in books provides double the pleasure.

We also received Pledger's Sounds of Nighttime book which has been dubbed the "loud book." Every other page has a pop-out scene and once the page is opened, a cacophony of animal noises arise from the book. Mommy thinks it's too cute. It took some getting used to for the boy but eventually he was hooting like an owl with the best of them. GREAT book and very unique. I like it a lot. Excellent gift idea.

We love this series and give it four thumbs up!

Carrie comes by her book obsession honestly, having descended from a long line of bibliophiles. She blogs about books regularly at Reading to Know.

“The book was so much better,” we always say.

After all, how dare that movie intrude on our imaginations? How dare they give the character that nose or that laugh? Oh, not that laugh! Why would they cut that scene, of all things to cut. That was the best part. And where did this part come from? That wasn’t in the book, for heaven’s sake.

But every so often—once, perhaps twice in a lifetime—a movie comes along that changes your perspective of the book, the infuses new life into a beloved read. For me, that movie is Little Women, the version with Susan Sarandon, Winona Ryder, and Christian Bale. (Of course, I’ve since come to realize I love all movies with Christian Bale.) To understand the significance of this, you must understand my love of the book Little Women.

I wanted to be Jo. No, that isn’t right. I am Jo—uncoordinated, over-imaginative, blunt Jo. I was in love with Laurie. I couldn’t stand Amy (sorry, Kirsten Dunst!), and I had a special place in my heart for Beth. On my better days, I strived to be Beth (although Jo always took over). Though I never lived in Civil War days, though I never set my dress on fire (although, yes, I did set my sneakers a-smoking, if you must know the truth), though I never read for hours on end to an elderly aunt, Little Women tells my story.

You see, I’ve dreamt of traipsing around Europe (“my Europe!” Jo exclaims). I grew up penning story after story (and even started a club with some friends to write and sell stories in my neighborhood as a girl). And one of my favorite childhood memories was taking a favorite book to a sick girl in the hospital.
So to fall in love with the movie version seems outlandish and testifies to the love that must have gone into the making of the movie. I’m sure of it.

I go through movie stages. I watch one movie over and over and over again. Every day at lunch, I’ll play the next 15 or 20 minutes. When the movie comes to the end after several days, I’ll restart it (or, in days of old, rewind it). I’ve done this with When Harry Met Sally, Steel Magnolias, Pirates of the Caribbean, and I’ve done this with Little Women. Now, rereading the book, the faces from the movie become the faces in my imagination.

But not only has this movie infiltrated my imagination in a way that Anne of Green Gables and Huck Finn never could, it’s changed my perspective.

Now, to be fair, it’s quite possible that this came with age, with a greater understanding of who Jo really is and who she needs. Or it could be Gabriel Byrne’s sexy, I mean, talented and tenderhearted portrayal of Professor Bhaer.

The movie made me realize that Jo does not, in fact, belong with Laurie. She belongs with Friedrich. In my young-at-heartness, I protested the end. What? How could she fall in love with him? What about Laurie? What about their pranks? Their mutual love? Their laughs? Obviously, there’s chemistry between them. I even rewrote the ending (a common habit I have when unhappy with books and movies). “I have a surprise for you,” Laurie says at the door. Then (instead of revealing his new wife, Amy—the man-stealing brat), he takes a velvet box from his pocket and opens it to expose a diamond ring. “Will you be my wife?” She rushes into his arms. “Yes, Laurie! Yes!” And she gets published, and they all lived happily-ever-after.

Now (in my oh-so-matureness), that ending makes me cringe. (Good thing Louisa May Alcott wasn’t taking my advice at the time she wrote the book.) No, no. Laurie and Amy, with their half-hearted shenanigans, deserve each other.

Jo needs someone to push her to greatness. She needs someone to make her see something beyond the surface. Someone to encourage her when she wants to give up. Someone who kisses her gently on the cheek, brings her an orange, and tells her to keep writing. And what would Jo do with all that wealth anyway? What has wealth got to do with writing great stories, as Jo must do?

I’m thankful for Alcott’s right ending, as the movie forced me to see, because I now have my Friedrich Bhaer, and he’s exactly who I need.

Heather A. Goodman continues to pen stories. In her spare time, she loves reading to her niece, voicing all the characters, of course, and blogging about books, movies, and all things imaginative at L’Chaim.

Tonight I have two winners to announce, including one of my special surprise winners!

Also, remember that I am accepting submissions for buttons for our two new Tuesday events through the end of this week. Read this post for more info.

For the surprise winner — I had mentioned in last week's post that I might do a surprise giveaway this week based on responses to a question I asked. Well, as I was reading through all the Nightstand contributions, several new people joined in for the first time because of a "tweet" that had read. I figured that was worthy of a surprise giveaway, as I am awful at keeping up with Twitter (reading and posting). I had an idea about who the tweet-master might have been, and I was right.

So, in honor of spreading the 5 Minutes for Book carnival love, I award Monica Brand at Paper Bridges an item of her choice up to $15 from amazon. Email me with your choice and your address.

And the winner of Deep in the Heart of Trouble is #83, djp. By the way, I just posted something at my blog about this book and nepotism. Check it out.

I've been living in a bubble. Never having come into close contact with a family whose child is autistic is surprising when you see the statistics. It's the fastest growing developmental disability in the United States today with 1 out of every 150 American children affected by it, and 1 out of 94 boys. Just in case you're in that bubble with me, let me tell you about this incredible story of Dale, born with autism, the journey he and his parents take and the role a golden retriever named Henry plays in changing their world.

It's hard to say who touched me more. Was it Dale, the little boy born with autism, or his parents Jamie and Nuala Gardner, as my heart was torn by the gut-wrenching journey they were on, or was it the namesake of this book, a gentle, unassuming dog who came into their life with no way of knowing the impact he would have? It only took the prologue for this book to grab me.

Written from the mother's perspective in raw, honest and sometimes strong language, Nuala gave me my first real glimpse of a family dealing with this disability, really any disability. There's nothing 'warm, fuzzy' about this book. Rather, it allows us to spend time in their world, getting a close look not only at what day to day life was like, but also the depths of despair they reached, the anger and grieving, and the triumphs that came along now and then. Nuala flings the door to her heart wide open, letting us all see what life with a severely autistic child is like. Most of the book is written from her perspective, but I was also given a glimpse of what Dale was feeling, especially as he got older. The end of the book has snippets written by Dale himself.

Early in the book Nuala shared a scene of attempting to help Dale cross a busy street. Reaching the middle he began to scream, kick, pull her hair and all she could do was sit down astride him, trying to keep him from smashing his head against the concrete. If that wasn't heartbreaking enough, the real lesson for me was in the responses of those trying to drive down the street. Horns honking, and people yelling out their windows, "That kid needs a da*n good spanking." "Disgusting behavior." Autism isn't usually obvious to the casual eye. As a matter of fact, in spite of being diagnosed as 'severe classic autism' none of Dale's friends ever knew of his disability, even though he eventually was placed in the mainstream high school. It's easy to miss and misunderstand.

Almost accidentally Dale is exposed to a family member's dog, and the parents immediately see a connection. With some hesitation they bring home a golden retriever puppy, and amazingly he is the key that unlocks Dale's world. As he learns to care about, care for Henry, to spend time with him, to bond with him, Dale is literally freed from his solitary world to one of relationships, communication, friends, school, to a functioning level of independence. Possibly the most moving story in the book is when Nuala shares Dale telling her for the very first time that he loves her. Interestingly at just the same time I was reading this book, my own daughter shared with me that her two year old son had spontaneously told her he loved her. "Love u momma." Nuala waited years for the same expression.

A Friend Like Henry wasn't written to educate the public. I have to think, after reading it, that it was just lying there down in Nuala's soul, waiting to come out. She'd lived it and had to share it. Still, it was a tremendous lesson for me, not only to what a parent of a severely disabled child must deal with on a day to day basis, but what goes on within their heart, the reactions they receive, the grief they must journey through, the parenting skills they must conjure up in the midst of heartbreak, discouragement and exhaustion.

Reading this book I realized there are countless people out there, living the life handed to them, loving their child fiercely, doing what they have to do, all the while dealing with loneliness, discouragement, misunderstanding, and a lack of respect or compassion or empathy, sometimes on my part. One point Nuala shared over and over was the vital role friends played in supporting them, often in practical ways. If you know someone who has an autistic child, or one with other disabilities, I would highly recommend reading this book. It will change how you see the world and that's almost always a good thing.

I'm confident Nuala isn't asking to be anyone's hero but I came away with tremendous respect for this family, the tough road they walked, never once loosening their fierce grip on each other's hands. Here's a link to a video of the family on You Tube, for an upclose look at this family. The video was made when Dale was a little boy and still deep in his own world.

Bev shares whatever's on her heart at Scratchin' the Surface, when she doesn't have her nose in a book, or isn't on the phone with someone in her family.

To win one of three copies of A Friend Like Henry Sourcebooks is giving away, leave a comment here. We'll post the winners on Wednesday September 10.

Editor's note: Whether or not you have a child with Special Needs, you can peek into the world of families who do. Our sister site 5 Minutes for Special Needs features thoughtful posts from fantastic writers each day.

My husband was out of town and I was eager for the comfortable companionship of a really, really good book. Having none on hand, I decided to try a novel that my mother had picked up for me from the various and sundry items left unwanted upon the division of my great aunt’s belongings after her death. It was a book copyrighted in 1936, with a price stamped on the inside cover of nineteen cents.

The book was Pride and Prejudice, and I read it in a day, nearly in one sitting. I loved it, so much so that upon finishing it I immediately made a beeline for my local Blockbuster and rented the A&E miniseries, which only made me love the novel more.

Since that evening many years ago, I have re-read Pride and Prejudice many times, too many to count, and upon each reading find something new to love and enjoy. I have often wondered what makes each reading equally enjoyable (if not more so) and I’ve come up with three reasons:

1. Mr. Darcy
2. Mr. Darcy
3. Mr. Darcy

Oh, I’m kidding.

Okay, not really.

Despite masquerading as one here, I’m no book reviewer. Not really. I can’t wax eloquent on voice, theme or character development; I just know what I like and I like Pride and Prejudice. I like the wit and the smart dialogue. I like the humor, both the understated and the absurd (Mrs. Bennet and Mr. Collins, for example). I like despising Wickham and hating Caroline. I like Elizabeth and I like Darcy and I like the story of the pride and the prejudice they are each guilty of. And yeah, I like the romance (“In vain I have struggled…you must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you…”).

For all these reasons, and more, I’m quite certain I have yet to read Pride and Prejudice for the last time.

So, what about you? How did you like Pride and Prejudice? Post your thoughts over on your blog and link them up here. If you’re unsure how to proceed, we’ve got a few questions here to get you started. Or, if you don’t have a blog, let us know your thoughts in the comments. I look forward to reading your impressions of my favorite novel!

And, if you can’t get enough, check out the following resources:

• Pride and Prejudice, the A&E miniseries* with Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy
• Pride and Prejudice, the film starring Keira Knightley* as Elizabeth Bennet (I absolutely loved both movies for different reasons, but the book is ALWAYS better than the movie!)
• Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman series of novels by Pamela Aidan (the first and third are great; be warned that Lizzie is not in book 2, FYI)
• Just Jane, a novelization of Jane Austen’s life by Nancy Moser

*Shameless plug from Jennifer: Amazon is having a great sale on these DVDs, and if you purchase them through our links, you can support us here at 5 Minutes for Books.

Stay tuned for our next Classics Bookclub as we read Jane Eyre. We'll be meeting up here on October 7.

Wife and mother, Bible teacher and blogger, Lisa loves Jesus, coffee, dark chocolate and, of course, books. Read more of her reflections at Lisa writes….

Now it's your turn. Please link your post (not your main blog url) right here. To fully participate in the bookclub experience, visit the other participants and add to the conversation by leaving them a comment.

As I hope you've noticed, each Tuesday offers the opportunity to participate in some sort of community event here at 5 Minutes for Books, and now I'd like to announce two of the newest monthly carnivals that will take place each month.

Kids' Picks — 3rd Tuesday of every month :

One of the most common questions we've gotten or comments of appreciation have been in reference to kids' books. Whether our kids are avid or reluctant readers, most of us are always on the lookout for books that they will enjoy.

So with the monthly Kids' Picks carnival, you can share what your kids have loved reading that month (or let them write a paragraph or two themselves). It could be a new series that your pre-teen has discovered or a book that challenges and excites your newly independent reader. Don't forget your pre-readers. Is there a book that made your toddler squeal with delight, or one that you didn't mind reading over and over again to your preschooler?

I Read It! — 5th Tuesday (when applicable):

I have loved seeing books that were reviewed in the 5 Minutes for Books column at 5 Minutes for Mom or here on our site ending up on your nightstand or reviewed on your blog. So, if you have taken us up on a recommendation, write your own review letting us know that you read it. You can also link up a review that you published previously, or better yet, if you've read a few books in the quarter, write a new post linking back to those reviews and giving a quick recap. Feel free to offer a different viewpoint if you disagree with our original review.

Would you like to design the button for the Kids' Picks or I Read It! carnival? I love our cute carnival buttons that people can use to identify their contribution each month or can display proudly in their sidebar to show their intent to participate. If yours is selected, I will link to your blog in the main Kids' Picks or I Read It! post, and if you have a design business, I will give that a recommendation as well.

So, what I'm looking for is a standard-sized 150 x 150 button. It should have the title "Kids' Picks" or "I Read It!" and also 5minutesforbooks.com so that people will know where to find out more, even if it's not linked back. Please send any submissions to me at 5minutesforbooks (at) gmail [d0t] com. The deadline is Friday, September 5. I'd like to be able to publish the buttons by Tuesday September 9.

By submitting your button you agree to give us permission to use it indefinitely, as well as assert your right to use any images included.

Join us this month:
September 2 — Pride and Prejudice Classics Bookclub
September 9 — Children's Classics — Picture Books
September 16 — First Kids' Picks carnival
September 23 — What's on Your Nightstand?
September 30 — Fifth Tuesday — I Read It!