Mothering by the Book: The Power of Reading Aloud to Overcome Fear and Recapture Joy
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- Create Date：2022-08-08 06:52:00
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Jennifer Pepito
- ISBN：0764239538
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Reviews
Panda Incognito
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In Mothering by the Book， Jennifer Pepito shares personal stories about how different books have encouraged her during challenging times。 She references favorite classics like All-of-a-Kind Family and The Hiding Place: The Triumphant True Story of Corrie Ten Boom， drawing out their life lessons and showing how they have shifted her perspective on fears she has struggled with。 Each chapter focuses on a common fear， such as the fear of your children being behind， or of not having enough， and t In Mothering by the Book， Jennifer Pepito shares personal stories about how different books have encouraged her during challenging times。 She references favorite classics like All-of-a-Kind Family and The Hiding Place: The Triumphant True Story of Corrie Ten Boom， drawing out their life lessons and showing how they have shifted her perspective on fears she has struggled with。 Each chapter focuses on a common fear， such as the fear of your children being behind， or of not having enough， and then shows how a specific book sheds light on this。 The chapters end with suggestions for further reading， although some of the titles make repeat appearances over different lists。Pepito is a Christian homeschool mother of multiple children， and her examples will particularly resonate with people who share her background， either as home educators or homeschool graduates。 However， even though the majority of her examples are specific to her family's lifestyle， Pepito is honest about her struggles and doesn't give off an elitist view of homeschooling。 People who have chosen different educational paths for their family can enjoy this as well， as long as they're fine with not relating to many of the story-driven examples。This book will greatly encourage mothers who are dealing with fear and anxiety。 Pepito shows that good books aren't mere escapism， but can strengthen us to face life with greater courage and wisdom。 Her honesty about her struggles and failures will help other mothers feel less alone， especially if they are also anxiety-prone。 However， if someone is just looking for reading recommendations， they should know that this book's primary focus is on coping with parenting fears， not on literary reflection。I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Rebecca McCracken
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I'm a few chapters in to this book and I love how Jennifer focuses each chapter on a book or literary character。 She points out their strengths and challenges， adds personal stories， shares nuggets of wisdom ， suggests Biblical references and closes with thought provoking questions。 Jennifer's life experiences are unique， engaging， often humorous， relatable and WELL WRITTEN。 Jennifer clearly is well read， as her writing is what I would call "quality prose。" However， unlike some writers， Jennifer I'm a few chapters in to this book and I love how Jennifer focuses each chapter on a book or literary character。 She points out their strengths and challenges， adds personal stories， shares nuggets of wisdom ， suggests Biblical references and closes with thought provoking questions。 Jennifer's life experiences are unique， engaging， often humorous， relatable and WELL WRITTEN。 Jennifer clearly is well read， as her writing is what I would call "quality prose。" However， unlike some writers， Jennifer is human， unpretentious， and is not condescending or patronizing。 You may learn a few new vocabulary words， but you won't need to spend half of your quiet reading time asking Siri or Alexa to define words for you。The book will be most relatable to homeschooling Christian mothers， but the lessons the book contains， the mothering wisdom， and commentary on learning from great books can be enjoyed by any mom。 Even Jewish， Hindu， Buddhist or moms that acknowledge a higher power can appreciate the way Jennifer weaves faith into her story。 I personally homeschooled my daughter who now attends a private school， but this book still speaks to me SO VERY MUCH！ People perceive me as strong leader， a go- getter， and a woman that can do anything。 Inside though， like most mothers， I wrestle with fear。 I think， "My daughter is acting THIS way。。。 what am I doing wrong？ Do I work too much？ Am I letting her get too worldly？ Should I allow this app on her device and if I do will it ruin her life？ What if I take a hard stand on X。。。will she then do X in rebellion？ Am I present enough？ Do I give her enough independence。。。or too much？ Who will I be once she graduates？ What if I make the wrong decision and she hates me later？" The list goes on。 Even the few chapters I've read so far have helped me identify and start to address the fears that have certainly prevented me from just being joyful in the situation I am in。 I'm so excited to finish the book and highly recommend picking up a copy or giving one as a gift to a mom you know。 。。。more
Heidi
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"I recaptured the magic of motherhood by fighting fear with stories and letting the truth of Scripture hammer it home。 Through this book， I want to help you recapture the magic of motherhood as well。 Childhood is too precious to waste， and our children need us to be present so they can be empowered to kill their own giants。 Fear keeps us in our heads， imagining the worst about ourselves and our circumstances， and fear is a slippery little demon that masquerades well。" - Jennifer Pepito Mothering "I recaptured the magic of motherhood by fighting fear with stories and letting the truth of Scripture hammer it home。 Through this book， I want to help you recapture the magic of motherhood as well。 Childhood is too precious to waste， and our children need us to be present so they can be empowered to kill their own giants。 Fear keeps us in our heads， imagining the worst about ourselves and our circumstances， and fear is a slippery little demon that masquerades well。" - Jennifer Pepito Mothering by the BookALL。 THE。 STARS！ This book is exactly what I needed right now。 The Lord knew this is just what my mama heart needed！ This is written from a Christian POV but I feel anyone can find encouragement， hope， and help from this book no matter your religious affiliations。 She's also a homeschooler but I feel it applies to all families regardless of your education style。 It's just all encompassing！I love how Jennifer labels each fear， gives us examples from her life in how it presented， then a book and scripture that helped her face that fear。 It's so well laid out！ Each chapter covers one type of fear then ends with journaling questions， a scripture to memorize， read-a-loud options for your family， and books to help mom！ I flew through this highlighting more than I wasn't！！ I can't wait to go through again and work on the journaling questions！Reading this is like sitting down on your porch with lemonade chatting with Jennifer！ She's open and honest and encouraging！ It's like reading a conversation - so easy and flowing。 Lol， but don't think she won't ask you hard questions that really make you look inside your heart to what you're carrying inside。 Truly a wonderful book to add to your library！ 。。。more
Kristin
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As you open the pages of Mothering by the Book it is as if you are sitting down with a cup of coffee with Jennifer。Not only does she share wisdom and helpful encouragement but she shares her own personal life experiences。 It's not every day that books on motherhood share the hard and nitty gritty of life， share how they were able to overcome it in a doable way， and wraps up each chapter walking you through the steps of working it all out in our own lives。This book is a gift that every mama shoul As you open the pages of Mothering by the Book it is as if you are sitting down with a cup of coffee with Jennifer。Not only does she share wisdom and helpful encouragement but she shares her own personal life experiences。 It's not every day that books on motherhood share the hard and nitty gritty of life， share how they were able to overcome it in a doable way， and wraps up each chapter walking you through the steps of working it all out in our own lives。This book is a gift that every mama should read。 I wish that I had read it years ago before my children were born。 It would have helped me to overcome SO many doubts and fears。This is a book that I could not put down and that I will read over and over again。 It is a wonderful reminder to ourselves when we doubt in fear in different seasons of life。 I love that Jennifer encourages moms to read aloud good books to their children through her curriculum at The Peaceful Press and now through this beautiful book which is what you will find when you read it is a big part of what helped her to overcome her fear as she shares these beautiful titles with us。Her love of the Lord shines through her and is woven throughout the pages of the book which makes it that much more beautiful。 Jennifer is a treasure and this book is a gift to the world。I cannot wait for this book to get out into the world， into your homes， and into your hearts。 。。。more
Tabetha
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This was such an encouraging book！ As a homeschooling mom， learning through books is a huge part of the educational life for my children and I。 In Mothering By the Book， Jennifer teaches us as moms so much about mothering and educating through some of her favourite literature。 What an inspiring and refreshing book！
Becca Harris
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I will be rereading this book and journaling through it starting tomorrow。 I got the book in the mail yesterday and read it through so quickly， thinking， "This is exactly what I needed to hear right now！" Jennifer touched on so many topics that mothers face and gives practical tips for overcoming the problems we are all having。 I love how honest she is without making excuses for sin。 I'm inspired and I highly recommend this book。 I will be rereading this book and journaling through it starting tomorrow。 I got the book in the mail yesterday and read it through so quickly， thinking， "This is exactly what I needed to hear right now！" Jennifer touched on so many topics that mothers face and gives practical tips for overcoming the problems we are all having。 I love how honest she is without making excuses for sin。 I'm inspired and I highly recommend this book。 。。。more
Just Read VI
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An awesome read on motherhood， why God is so important in motherhood/parenting， and why forgiveness is so important for our overall well-being。 This book was my first read from Jennifer Pepito。 But I really enjoyed how she broke everything down， included God's word （scripture） and had questions for the readers along the way。 For moms or soon to be moms this book is for you。 An awesome read on motherhood， why God is so important in motherhood/parenting， and why forgiveness is so important for our overall well-being。 This book was my first read from Jennifer Pepito。 But I really enjoyed how she broke everything down， included God's word （scripture） and had questions for the readers along the way。 For moms or soon to be moms this book is for you。 。。。more
Nicki Corridoni
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In her book， Mothering by the Book， Jennifer Pepito gives anecdotal wisdom she has learned during her time raising and homeschooling her seven children。 Each chapter showcases a different book she has read and the lessons in overcoming fear in the different areas of her life those books have taught her。 I can relate to the worries of not being loved， and my children being behind in school， and Jennifer's wisdom in these chapters help get to the heart of those fears and why we have them。This is n In her book， Mothering by the Book， Jennifer Pepito gives anecdotal wisdom she has learned during her time raising and homeschooling her seven children。 Each chapter showcases a different book she has read and the lessons in overcoming fear in the different areas of her life those books have taught her。 I can relate to the worries of not being loved， and my children being behind in school， and Jennifer's wisdom in these chapters help get to the heart of those fears and why we have them。This is not a book directed at homeschoolers however。 That is merely her own experience as a mother。 But this book is for mother's in general and the wisdom applies to everyone in the season of motherhood。I loved every chapter and highly recommend picking it up when it comes out。Thank you to Bethany House for sending me the advanced reader copy of this book for free through Netgalley。 。。。more
Caitlin （CMAReads）
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Thanks to Bethany House for the free book。In this book， Pepito shares her struggles with fear with vulnerability and openness。 Each chapter focuses on a lesson she learned through a book as she was going through various seasons of fear， depression， and anxiety。 Also， she relies on the Bible heavily for pointing the reader back to what scripture says about fear。 I think I expected something a bit different from this book， and I was not expecting such a heavy book and wasn't in the right place to Thanks to Bethany House for the free book。In this book， Pepito shares her struggles with fear with vulnerability and openness。 Each chapter focuses on a lesson she learned through a book as she was going through various seasons of fear， depression， and anxiety。 Also， she relies on the Bible heavily for pointing the reader back to what scripture says about fear。 I think I expected something a bit different from this book， and I was not expecting such a heavy book and wasn't in the right place to sit with so much fear， and it took me a couple weeks to get through。 I also have only read two of the books that accompany a chapter， which made it hard for me to connect with the lessons from these books at times。 I think I thought that this book was going to be more focused on the reading aloud aspect over the memoir aspect， and that's where I feel like I'm missing something。 I am also a mom of an only child and have no idea what schooling will look like。 I think this book might be a bit more relatable in niche areas like bigger families and homeschooling。 Overall， it was a read that pointed me back to Jesus， so I will take the nuggets I learned and add the books I'm interested t0 my TBR shelf。 。。。more
Becca
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Thank you Netgalley and Bethany House Publishers for the advanced review copy。Mothering by the Book is a unique book that combines parenting and homeschooling encouragement with a reading list that has inspired the author in those respective areas of life。Each chapter addresses common fears （failure， the future， not having enough） with literary companions and how the author has learned from them。 I enjoyed this， but it was different than I expected based on the title。 It seems to me it was less Thank you Netgalley and Bethany House Publishers for the advanced review copy。Mothering by the Book is a unique book that combines parenting and homeschooling encouragement with a reading list that has inspired the author in those respective areas of life。Each chapter addresses common fears （failure， the future， not having enough） with literary companions and how the author has learned from them。 I enjoyed this， but it was different than I expected based on the title。 It seems to me it was less about reading aloud per say， and more about how books in general can help us face our fears。 Perhaps that is a bit nit picky， but it was just different than I was expecting。 There was also a decent amount about homeschooling。 Not a bad thing， but again， not what I expected。Kudos for this book adding to my TBR and offering a unique perspective。 Recommended for homeschooling moms， or moms who place a lot of importance on reading in their families。 。。。more
Hollie
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I have followed Jennifer on Instagram for a while and have always enjoyed her encouragement。 This book is no different， it is full of real life from a mom of 7。 Sharing her highs and lows of homeschooling and getting a peek behind the curtain so to speak is just what I needed in my current season of homeschooling。 Not only does she recommend some great books， she gives real examples and applications of the principals。 She breaks down a lot of books and her take aways from them。 In the chapter on I have followed Jennifer on Instagram for a while and have always enjoyed her encouragement。 This book is no different， it is full of real life from a mom of 7。 Sharing her highs and lows of homeschooling and getting a peek behind the curtain so to speak is just what I needed in my current season of homeschooling。 Not only does she recommend some great books， she gives real examples and applications of the principals。 She breaks down a lot of books and her take aways from them。 In the chapter on Endurance there was the following quote “Fear led me to abdicate my role as a parent， to reject the authority of the Bible as a guide， and to begin a haphazard search for answers。” This quote stopped me in my tracks， literally this is the place I am right now。 In my mind though， I have a hard time imagining anyone else going through this type of fear。 She breaks down the ways she was able to break the fear mentality in a relatable way。 Such a breath of fresh air ！ I recommend this book to any homeschool mom needing to hear that she isn’t alone in her struggles （whatever they might be） and you don’t have to stay there。 Jennifer is real and doesn’t hold anything back。 It’s like having a Mom mentor ！ As an additional bonus each chapter ends with a list of read aloud suggestions and also mom book suggestions。 I was given a complementary copy from NetGalley in exchange for giving my opinion 。。。more
Darlene Messenger
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I received this book from the publisher through Netgalley for review and all thoughts and opinions are my own。Faith based book on mothering， through perilous times。。 Reading aloud to her children helped in various ways。 She is a Charlotte Mason homeschooling parent so books come from that list。 Interesting and helpful for all mothers struggling to do it all or do it well。
Michelle Castaneda
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Mothering by the Book: The Power of Reading Aloud to Overcome Fear and Recapture Joy by Jennifer Pepito is a beautifully written literary memoir。 This book was not exactly what I expected， since it was much more memoir than inspiration for the reader。 Still， it is an interesting and worthwhile read。 Readers who love books will enjoy this book。 I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations。 These opinions are entirely my own。
Ashlea Marshall
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I started this book at a bad time: a couple of weeks before the longest road trip my husband and I have taken with our four children。 This book put fear and anxiety at the forefront of my mind when I struggled with anxiety about this trip。 I wish I could say this book helped me through it， but I just ended up having more panic attacks。 I ended up having to take a break from this book until after our trip。While Mothering by the Book did not help me with my anxiety， I did still learn from it。 This I started this book at a bad time: a couple of weeks before the longest road trip my husband and I have taken with our four children。 This book put fear and anxiety at the forefront of my mind when I struggled with anxiety about this trip。 I wish I could say this book helped me through it， but I just ended up having more panic attacks。 I ended up having to take a break from this book until after our trip。While Mothering by the Book did not help me with my anxiety， I did still learn from it。 This book reiterated the importance of reading aloud。 During my first two years of homeschooling， I have neglected to include reading aloud books to my third child。 She cannot sit through the chapter books her older brothers like to have me read to them。I do like to use literature to teach my children。 However， I think this book neglects to balance fictional role models with flesh and blood ones。 We can learn much from literary heroines， but they cannot replace the role of godly mentors。Overall， I think this book does a good job of portraying the importance of reading aloud for both mamas and children。 However， I recommend The Read-Aloud Family over this book。 。。。more
sincerely
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"We will open our senses to the twinkle in our child’s eyes， the smell of fresh laundry on the line， the feel of a baby’s warm body pressed close to ours as they take their nourishment。 We won’t squander this season with worry; we’ll wring every bit of joy out of each moment。 We will learn how to take our thoughts captive and reject the lies that keep us afraid and incapacitated。 We will learn how to be present and experience the presence of God。 We will learn how to be free。" I first heard Jenn "We will open our senses to the twinkle in our child’s eyes， the smell of fresh laundry on the line， the feel of a baby’s warm body pressed close to ours as they take their nourishment。 We won’t squander this season with worry; we’ll wring every bit of joy out of each moment。 We will learn how to take our thoughts captive and reject the lies that keep us afraid and incapacitated。 We will learn how to be present and experience the presence of God。 We will learn how to be free。" I first heard Jennifer Pepito on a 1000 Hours Outside podcast episode and got so excited when she announced her book about books （le sigh， my favorite！！！）， Mothering by the Book。 Timing aligned perfectly and I read it on our camping trip to Paynes Prairie。 I felt both Ginny and Jennifer's voices in my head as I read a great book *and* make memories with my kids outdoors 😍🙌 Mothering by the Book is a literary journey through Jennifer's life as a mom。 With vulnerability， she describes different seasons of life and motherhood， and how reading aloud taught not only her children but her as well。 Books like Understood Betsy， All-of-a-Kind Family， The Railway Children， Little Britches and many more are explored through the lens of a seasoned mom who is willing to be open and honest about fear and forgiveness。 Each chapter ends with a questionnaire， scripture， and recommended reading for mamas and for read aloud time。 Needless to say I finished this one with a big smile and a whole new TBR！ I really enjoyed Mothering by the Book and think soooo many will， too！！ This releases August 2nd - perfect way to start the school year！ （I received a complimentary copy。 All opinions expressed are my own。 Quote above from ARC。） Jennifer Pepito is the founder of The Peaceful Press， a Charlotte Mason inspired homeschooling curriculum 📚😍 。。。more
Ali Chatham
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As someone who loves to read and as someone who just had a baby， the premise of this book definitely caught my attention！ The author recounts her own experiences as a mother and lessons she's learned throughout motherhood by focusing on one children's book per chapter。 Each of the books she selected， including favorites like Little House on the Prairie， Cheaper By the Dozen， and Charlotte's Web， were books that she read aloud to her children and she encourages her readers to do the same。 Each ch As someone who loves to read and as someone who just had a baby， the premise of this book definitely caught my attention！ The author recounts her own experiences as a mother and lessons she's learned throughout motherhood by focusing on one children's book per chapter。 Each of the books she selected， including favorites like Little House on the Prairie， Cheaper By the Dozen， and Charlotte's Web， were books that she read aloud to her children and she encourages her readers to do the same。 Each chapter closes with a series of questions for reflection as well as recommended reading for the children and for mom。 Overall I enjoyed the book， though it reads more like a memoir than I was initially anticipating， I look forward to reading some of the books that the author recommended！I received a free digital copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Cassie
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I requested this book for review from the publisher who kindly provided me a dARC。 After reading the introduction and the first chapter， I was hooked！ I knew right away that I wanted to make notes in the margin， tab it and be able to refer back to it over and over。 That is difficult to do with a digital copy of a book。So I went and pre-ordered it。 I can't wait for it to arrive and dive even further into this book。From the brief reading， which is my first introduction to Jennifer Pepito， she seem I requested this book for review from the publisher who kindly provided me a dARC。 After reading the introduction and the first chapter， I was hooked！ I knew right away that I wanted to make notes in the margin， tab it and be able to refer back to it over and over。 That is difficult to do with a digital copy of a book。So I went and pre-ordered it。 I can't wait for it to arrive and dive even further into this book。From the brief reading， which is my first introduction to Jennifer Pepito， she seems to have a mothering philosophy that seeks to create a space for her children to thrive。 。。。more
Codi
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It took me a little while to get through this one because I read it devotional style but the title itself is what made me want to pick it up！ Books absolutely have power and they can help change our mindsets positively if we let them。 They are definitely my go-to when facing stress and fear of the unknown so it makes sense that they help us overcome fear and bring joy in the process。 She referenced some fantastic books as part of her read aloud arsenal over the years （several I added to my TBR） It took me a little while to get through this one because I read it devotional style but the title itself is what made me want to pick it up！ Books absolutely have power and they can help change our mindsets positively if we let them。 They are definitely my go-to when facing stress and fear of the unknown so it makes sense that they help us overcome fear and bring joy in the process。 She referenced some fantastic books as part of her read aloud arsenal over the years （several I added to my TBR） and even though I’m not a homeschool momma myself， I still gleaned much wisdom and encouragement from this book。 It’s full of my highlights and I for sure would read it again。 *Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley 。。。more
Gabrielle Baker
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