Can’t call these reviews, yet, except for Beverly Cleary’s classic “Ramona and Her Father.” Such a good book, and really fitting for a lot of us right now, sad to say. This is the one where Ramona’s dad loses his job and the whole family struggles. It’s especially poignant when you realize that the book grew out of Cleary’s own experiences during the Depression, and when you realize that things just go how they go sometimes, don’t they? You just have got to hang on for the ride.

I’m ready to start “I Sold My Soul on eBay: Viewing Faith Through An Atheist’s Eyes,” by Hemant Mehta. And I’m loving the hell out of Kim John Payne, M.Ed., and Lisa M. Ross’s text, “Simplicity Parenting.”

That one is subtitled “Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids” (Ballantine Books, $25, 235 pages). I know, you’re probably thinking what I’m thinking, especially when next you hear “Waldorf,” “fewer toys,” “what is wrong with this madcap world we live in?” etc. You’re thinking it’s one of those ploys to purchase a bunch more plastic containers, and organize your life via small, tasteful throw rugs and be-tasseled pillows and a lot of shiny new stuff in shiny new spaces?

You were, weren’t you?

It is not that kind of book.

You will figure that out for yourself when the author talks about his experiences working with refugee children at camps in Jakarta and Cambodia. He then moved to England, completed training as a Waldorf teacher, and worked in school settings and in private practice as a counselor. He started noticing some similarities between the groups he had worked with. He was seeing anger, often explosive; nervousness; a need to be in control, especially around bedtime and food; they were mistrustful of people; they were uncertain in new situations.

Sounds like Post-Traumatic Stress, no? He started treating it as that, with good effect.

I can’t do Payne justice here — he really delves into it with this book. He has some good, workable solutions to the problems a lot of us are facing, as parents and as a global community.

Next up (and most of these are the recommendations of my girlfriend L, who talked books with me at bunco. Books, bunco, food, four kinds of dessert. What more could you want?)… the list: “Parenting Beyond Belief: On Raising Ethical, Caring Kids Without Religion” and “Raising Freethinkers: A Practical Guide for Parenting Beyond Belief,” by Dale McGowan, et al; Sapphire’s “Push: A Novel” and much, much more. If I can stay awake for all of this, that is. I went back to work today!!! Big clap hands.

Reading this week: