Living Unabridged

May in our family means birthdays. But I know it might not be "Birthday Month" in every family, so I thought I'd suggest some books with a mother theme. After all, in the U.S. one Sunday in May is set aside to honor our mothers.

So what do I recommend to read in May?

Fiction for May:

Bertie's Guide to Life and Mothers: A 44 Scotland Street Novelby Alexander McCall Smith. Poor Bertie did not win the mother sweepstakes. If you haven't read any of the Scotland Street series, you probably don't want to start with this one, but since it had "mother" in the title, it made my list.

Great mothers in fiction:

Marmee from Little Women should be first on any list of great literary mothers, right?

Ramona and Her MotherBeverly Cleary somehow managed to make Mrs. Quimby a real mom, with foibles and dreams of her own, while still amazingly patient and loving with her daughters.

Anne Shirley, bereft of a mother until Marilla Cuthbert steps in (however unwillingly at first), grows up to be a lovely mother in the later books in the series. In Rainbow Valley she mothers not just her own children, but the irrepressible Meredith clan as well.

The mothers in the American Girl series are usually wise and resourceful, particularly in the Felicity, Kirsten, Kit, and Molly books. (The Samantha books are good, but Samantha is raised first by her grandmother and then by her aunt.)

Nonfiction for May:

The 10 Habits of Happy Mothers: Reclaiming Our Passion, Purpose, and Sanityby Dr. Meg Meeker. Have you lost your joy in motherhood? This book might help you find it again.

The Mother at Homeby John Abbott. Written in 1834, so the style is occasionally verbose or melodramatic. But there is much good to be mined here.

MotherStyles: Using Personality Type to Discover Your Parenting Strengthsby Janet Penley. One of my favorite resources for parenting to our individual strengths.

Picture Books for May:

The Real Mother GooseEvery family should have a copy of Mother Goose. This edition is my favorite and I am powerless to resist buying them when I come across them at yard sales or thrift stores. We've framed some pages over the years, but we also re-read our favorite rhymes on a regular basis.

Are You My Mother?by P.D. Eastman. A classic for a reason.

Just Me and My Mom (A Little Critter Book) by Mercer Mayer. The Little Critter books are my one exception to the "don't buy books at the supermarket" rule. My children love all the books in this series.

Which books about mothers would make your What to Read in May list?