Adventures in McQuill-land

Tri-Cross: A TOS Crew Review

2011-09-26T09:40:00.002-04:00

Tri-Cross is a strategy game created by a father-son duo. It's described as a cross between checkers and chess, two of my son Ryan's favorite games; so needless to say, this game was out of the box and set up to play as soon as it arrived for us to review.

The standard Tri-Cross game consists of a sturdy playing board, 20 playing pieces, a storage bag for the pieces, and a rule book: a well-written, but to me, somewhat overwhelming rule book including rules for five variations of play for 2, 3, or 4 players. The game is recommended for players ages 10 and up, but younger children will learn to play it quite competitively with time and patience.

The rules of Tri-Cross are not difficult to understand, but I did find them challenging to keep track of as we played, at least for the first few... ok, more than a few... games. Fortunately for those who learn better by observing than reading a rule book, the creators of Tri-Cross offer tutorials for play on their website. Parents, please note: ten-year-olds don't seem to have any difficulty understanding the aforementioned complex directions, developing strategies, playing surprise moves, or beating the socks of their moms... and dads... so you might want to sneak a peak at those tutorials before challenging your kids to a game... I'm just saying...

When asked what he thought of Tri-Cross, Ryan gave it an enthusiastic thumbs-up and said, "It's fun! Wanna play now, Mom?" Dad was surprised how quickly the game moved and ended, and wondered at first if we were playing it incorrectly (but the directions say it can be played in 20 minutes, so we were doing fine). Mom loved that Ryan was so excited about the game, that he truly excelled at developing his own competitive strategies, and that it didn't take hours to finish a game - making it easy to grant the boys' requests of a "quick game before you make dinner, Mom?" Connor, at seven, found the game a bit frustrating at first, but after a couple of rounds, he got the hang of at least the basic play. With more practice, I truly believe he'll prove to be a worthy opponent for his older brother, something I have yet to accomplish.

Tri-Cross has received numerous awards, including Dr. Toy’s 2009 100 Best Children’s Products, Creative Child Magazine’s Creative Toy Awards 2008 Game of the Year, and the National Parenting Center’s Seal of Approval. It retails for $24.95 and is available on-line from the creators or at specialty toy stores and teacher stores nationwide.

Tri-Cross also comes in an "Eco-Friendly" travel version which retails for $19.95.

With it's cloth board and bag, this version packs easily into a suitcase, pool bag, or back-pack for mind-stretching fun wherever your day may take you (think: doctors' offices, grandma's, the pool, the park... the possibilities are endless)!

Click here for more Tri-Cross Game reviews from the Crew.

I received Tri-Cross and the Eco-Friendly Tri-Cross games free for the purpose of reviewing them. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinions. Your experience may vary.

American Girl Dolls - A Chance to WIN!

2011-09-07T13:23:00.002-04:00

Have you seen the American Girl Doll series? Don't you just love them? I do. I love the dolls themselves, the history behind them, and the stories they tell. In fact, I loved a certain American Girl Doll so much that I have her tucked away in my closet. Oh, alright, I'll admit it... I actually have two American Girl Dolls tucked away in that closet. Those who know me well will have no trouble guessing which two. For the rest of you, here's a HINT: I graduated from The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Colonial Williamsburg. Did you guess? Yes, I have Felicity and Elizabeth, the colonial friends who grew up in Williamsburg.

I didn't buy the dolls for my favorite little girl. I'm not saving them in hopes of one day having a little girl of my own (I've just about given up on that). I bought them for me! Why? Well... didn't I already say I love the American Girl Dolls? I have since they were first introduced. I recently told my mom it's a good thing they didn't come out until I had outgrown playing with dolls or I would have likely ended up with the entire set gracing my room. She laughed, but didn't disagree.

If you love the American Girl Dolls yourself, or know a little girl who does, here's your chance to WIN AN AMERICAN GIRL DOLL of your choice while supporting a worthy cause. (Not Felicity or Elizabeth, unfortunately, as they are archived, but there are plenty of others to choose from).

My homeschooling-mom-friend Wendy and her family are starting an adoption journey. They feel called to adopt a child from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They are raffling an American Girl Doll of the winner's choice as part of their adoption fund-raising efforts. Raffle tickets start at $10.00, with additional chances available for blogging about their efforts. (Which I would have done even without the extra tickets... but since they're offered, I'll not turn them down because now I'm in love with the newest American Girl Doll, Cecile and her friend, Marie-Grace from New Orleans... did I mention I would have owned the whole collection...

For specifics on Wendy's American Girl Doll raffle, go here, but don't delay. The raffle closes September 13th - that's less than a week away! For more on Wendy's family's call to adopt, go here. It's an amazing story of faith above ease or even practicality. You are sure to be moved!

So, what are you waiting for? I know I'm not the only one who loves these dolls! Click here for more details on how you could WIN AN AMERICAN GIRL DOLL!

Pig Pile: A TOS Crew Review

2011-09-07T09:46:00.001-04:00

My boys love playing games, especially card games. We have our classic favorites: UNO, SET, Milles Bourne... but are always looking to find new favorites to add to our repertoire. So, needless to say, we were excited that our first review of the year for the TOS Crew was for a card game called Pig Pile by R&R Games.

Pig Pile comes with a deck of cards and well, a pile of little plastic pigs - 40 in all. Connor was immediately taken with the pigs - after all, he's the future farmer in the family - and had to be told several times to leave the pigs with the game so that they wouldn't get lost before we could try out the game itself.

The object of Pig Pile is to be the first player to get rid of all of your cards in a round. Pigs are earned by winning a round, or in games with more than two people, just not being the person with the most cards remaining in your hand when the round ends. Play reminded us of UNO. Cards are put down based on their number value. The card(s) the current player discards must be of equal or greater value to the card put down by the previous player. Hog tied, Ewe-turn and Hog-wild cards add to the excitement.

The boys' initial reaction to the game was mixed. As I said, they loved the pigs. The pigs learned songs from VBS, went swimming, and toured Grandma and Grandpa's house and yard. They were well cared for - or at least 39 of them were! One went wandering in the woods and never returned home The card game itself was not an instant favorite, but honestly, I think that may be partly because it was so similar UNO, a favorite game both boys already know how to play well, and they did struggle a bit trying to keep all of the directions for Pig Pile straight. I am guessing that after we play Pig Pile a few more times, it will soon be a game-night favorite as well.

R&R Games is the maker of countless award-winning games for kids and families. Check out their website to see the full selection. Pig Pile retails for $15.95 and can be purchased directly from the R&R Games site. Through December 31st, R&R Games is offering a 20% discount on Pig Pile and Flea Circus to TOS Crew Review readers. Just enter the coupon code, CREW20, to receive the discount.

Click here for more R&R Games reviews from the Crew.

I received R&R Games' Pig Pile free for the purpose of reviewing it. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinions. Your experience may vary.

How Huge the Night: A CFBA Book Review

2011-06-08T21:46:00.097-04:00

How Huge the Night (Kregel Publications) by Heather Munn and Lydia Munn is a coming of age story set in southern France during the rise of Hitler and the Nazi party. Fifteen-year-old Julien is struggling to fit in after his family moves from Paris to southern France. When Julien's new town becomes a safe-haven for Jewish children from throughout Europe, Julien learns there are more important things than whether or not he's included in the local soccer game. Julien discovers that he is stronger than he realized, and that when people work together in the name of the Lord, great things can happen.

How Huge the Night is written for teens, and at times a more mature reader will be reminded of this by the tone of the dialogue and the nature of the interactions between the characters, but overall, readers from teens through adults will find the Munns have produced a powerful story highlighting good during a period of history when darkness moved across Europe and faith was all that carried many people through. Although not entirely historically accurate, the story is based on actual events.

I received How Huge the Night free for the purpose of reviewing it. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinions. Your experience may vary.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Heather Munn was born in Northern Ireland of American parents and grew up in the south of France. She decided to be a writer at the age of five when her mother read Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books aloud, but worried that she couldn’t write about her childhood since she didn’t remember it. When she was young, her favorite time of day was after supper when the family would gather and her father would read a chapter from a novel. Heather went to French school until her teens, and grew up hearing the story of Le Chambonsur-Lignon, only an hour’s drive away. She now lives in rural Illinois with her husband, Paul, where they offer free spiritual retreats to people coming out of homelessness and addiction. She enjoys wandering in the woods, gardening, writing, and splitting wood.

Lydia Munn was homeschooled for five years because there was no school where her family served as missionaries in the savannahs of northern Brazil. There was no public library either, but Lydia read every book she could get her hands on. This led naturally to her choice of an English major at Wheaton College. Her original plan to teach high school English gradually transitioned into a lifelong love of teaching the Bible to both adults and young people as a missionary in France. She and her husband, Jim, have two children: their son, Robin, and their daughter, Heather.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Fifteen-year-old Julien Losier just wants to fit in. But after his family moves to a small village in central France in hopes of outrunning the Nazis, he is suddenly faced with bigger challenges than the taunting of local teens.

Nina Krenkel left her country to obey her father's dying command: Take your brother and leave Austria. Burn your papers. Tell no one you are Jews. Alone and on the run, she arrives in Tanieux, France, dangerously ill and in despair.

Thrown together by the chaos of war, Julien begins to feel the terrible weight of the looming conflict and Nina fights to survive. As France falls to the Nazis, Julien struggles with doing what is right, even if it is not enough-and wonders whether or not he really can save Nina from almost certain death.

Based on the true story of the town of Le Chambon-the only French town honored by Israel for rescuing Jews from the Holocaust-How Huge the Night is a compelling, coming-of-age drama that will keep teens turning the pages as it teaches them about a fascinating period of history and inspires them to think more deeply about their everyday choices.

Endorsements

“The Munns have written an engrossing historical novel that is faithful to the actual events of World War II in western Europe during the tumultuous year 1940. But How Huge the Night is more than good history; it is particularly refreshing because the reader sees the conflict through the lives of teenagers who are forced to grapple with their honest questions about the existence and goodness of God in the midst of community, family, and ethnic tensions in war-ravaged France.”—Lyle W. Dorsett, Billy Graham Professor of Evangelism, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University

“Seldom have the horrors of war upon adolescents—or the heroism of which they are capable—been so clearly portrayed. I loved this coming-of-age story.”—Patricia Sprinkle, author of Hold Up the Sky
“The book expertly weaves together the lives of its characters at a frightening moment in conflicted times. As we read of their moral dilemmas and of their choices, we too wonder, Would I do has these in the story have done?”—Karen Mains, Director, Hungry Souls

If you would like to read an excerpt from How Huge the Night, go HERE

Watch the book video:

Eagle's Wings: Considering God's Creation: A TOS Crew Review

2011-05-25T23:15:00.002-04:00

Eagle's Wings: Considering God's Creation is "a creative in-depth encounter with natural science from a biblical perspective, adaptable for second to seventh grade." Eagle's Wings: Considering God's Creation was also our family's final product to review for our 2010-2011 voyage with the TOS Crew. And what a fun review to end on. Considering God's Creation consists of a gigantic 272-page student book, a Teacher's Manual, and a free audio CD!

It is a complete natural science curriculum designed by homeschooling moms Betty Smith and Sue Mortimer Lessons may be completed one a week for an entire school year, or stretched to cover two to three years. Basic teaching procedures are presented in the teacher's manual.

Considering God's Creation covers a multitude of topics including Creation; the Universe, stars, Sun, and planets; the Earth; non-living things; weather; the Plant Kingdom; the Animal Kingdom; animal anatomy and physiology; and man (the cell, digestive system, skeletal system, etc.). Each lesson in Considering God's Creation introduces new vocabulary, provides an overview of the topic, adds a song or poem, includes a Bible reading and "Evolution stumper" discussions, and presents notebooking pages, review questions, and opportunities for "digging deeper." The teacher's manual walks the teacher through the presentation of each lesson while the student book presents fun activity pages to supplement the lessons, including games, puzzles, and notebooking pages.

When we received Eagle's Wings: Considering God's Creation, we were already well into another science program that we were enjoying. One look at Considering God's Creation, however, and I knew this was not a program we could just set aside and save for another year. It is well-planned, well-laid-out, and fun for the kids. I was especially impressed by the notebooking pages.

We have recently added a nature study day to our curriculum. As it turned out, Considering God's Creation was just what we needed to focus out nature study and take it to the next level educationally. After all, spending time outside traipsing through woods and streams was a ton of fun, but I wanted to be sure the boys were internalizing a bit of new information each time we headed out into the woods, splashed in a stream, or explored an open space.

I thumbed through Considering God's Creation and found the lesson on trees, our first subject of focus in our nature study. The background information was good, but the "Tree Detective" sheets in the student booklet were fantastic!

The boys looked at each type of tree and recorded the bark type, tree shape, leaf placement, leaf shape, nuts and fruits, and more. After completing a couple of "Tree Detective" sheets, they started to make comparisons between the trees they saw. This was just what I was hoping for, and Considering God's Creation was the start of it all.

In future years, we will likely return to Eagle's Wings: Considering God's Creation to use it as a complete curriculum, but for now, it is a superb supplement to the science we currently have underway, and at $29.95 for the teacher's manual, student book, and CD, the cost is certainly reasonable whether you choose to use Considering God's Creation as your science curriculum or as a supplement to another program.

To see more sample pages from the student book, as well as a sample page from the teacher's manual, click here.

Click here for more Eagle's Wings: Considering God's Creation reviews from the Crew.

I received Eagle's Wings: Considering God's Creation free for the purpose of reviewing it. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinions. Your experience may vary.

Reading Street: A TOS Crew Review

2011-05-23T22:29:00.004-04:00

A couple of months ago, I was sent a 2-volume 2nd grade reading program, Scott Foresman Reading Street published by Pearson Education, leaders in school textbook development, to review as part of the TOS Crew. Now, we use a variety of curriculum and materials in our homeschool, so I was not one bit disappointed when I opened the box from Pearson and saw two books that look very much like the reading textbooks I used in public school, only maybe a bit prettier: bright and shiny covers and colorful illustrations with bold print. In fact, I waxed a bit nostalgic for my elementary school days, and spent quite a bit of time leafing through the books. And you know what, I like these books.

Reading Street introduces children to fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and even folk tales. Each new story begins with an introduction to new words, which includes an opportunity to read the words in a short paragraph before seeing them in the actual story (which I love), and a discussion of the genre of literature the up-coming story represents. Following the story are think and share questions, an opportunity to look back and write, and an introduction to the author and illustrator. Throughout the book, are also Write Now Writing and Grammar lessons, covering topics such as sentences, nouns, verbs, pronouns, contractions, and more, making Reading Street a complete reading AND writing/grammar program.

The stories contained in this program are "classic and soon-to-be classic literature." Many of the stories within Reading Street you'll recognize from your own childhood or from trips to the library with your children: Henry and Mudge, Anansi Goes Fishing, and Red, White, and Blue: The Story of the American Flag were just a few that my boys and I recognized right away.

Connor, who is finishing first grade reading this Spring, loved the colorful pictures and the variety of stories in Reading Street. I loved that he loved them. The reading level was still a bit above his current instructional level, but he was willing to give them a try, and that says a lot as Connor loves to be read to, but isn't quite as keen on using his phonics knowledge to figure out new words and read on his own. While I still love sitting and reading a variety of books from our shelves and the library with the boys, Reading Street was a nice addition to our homeschool reading curriculum, and we will continue to use it throughout the summer.

Each Reading Street volume sells for $43.47, or $84.96 for the 2-volume set. Additional resources such as teacher's manuals are available, but are not necessary to use the program at home, and will likely be found to be cost prohibitive by most homeschoolers.

Click here for more Reading Street reviews from the Crew.

I received a complimentary copy of Reading Street Grade 2 for the purpose of this review. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinions. Your experience may vary.

Wordy Qwerty: A TOS Crew Review

2011-05-20T23:08:00.004-04:00

Earlier in the year, the TOS Crew reviewed Talking Fingers' Read, Write, and Type Learning System, a program designed to teach 6- and 7-year-olds to type. Most reviewers agreed it was a fun, effective way to teach children in kindergarten through third grade to read, spell, and type.

Now, the TOS Crew is reviewing a new program from Talking Fingers: Wordy Qwerty. Wordy Qwerty "takes 7-9 year-olds through the next steps of reading and writing fluency, and picks up where our award-winning software, the Read, Write & Type Learning System leaves off." Now, our family did not review Read, Write, and Type in the fall, but were assured we didn't need to have completed that program before trying out Wordy Qwerty, so we agreed to give Wordy Qwerty a try.

Wordy Qwerty weaves fun-to-play games and catchy songs together into twenty consecutive lessons with six activities per lesson that will help 7- to 10-year-olds to learn more about spelling conventions and how words are constructed in English.

Animated characters Midi and Qwerty will guide your child through each lesson, as they work to score points in order to obtain 'spheres' for Midi's music machine. The animated voices are quite electronic sounding, which drove me crazy, but this didn't seem to bother the boys.

As I've mentioned before, my oldest struggles with spelling. I had hoped that Wordy Qwerty would be a fun way for him to practice spelling, and it was, for a time. As it turned out, however, as far as Ryan is concerned, spelling is spelling, and even the fun activities of Wordy Qwerty couldn't make up for that. Ryan did seem to enjoy Wordy Qwerty when he finally logged on, but getting him to log on was no easy task most days.

For my younger son, who is finishing up first grade and is not a strong reader, Wordy Qwerty quickly proved too difficult. There seemed to be a HUGE jump in the difficulty between the first and second activity in the first lesson, and it didn't take long for Connor to become frustrated enough to turn off the program and balk at giving it another try. As a result, I'd recommend Wordy Qwerty for students who are reading fluently and have a basic understanding of spelling. For those who aren't quite there, you might want to go ahead and try Read, Write, and Type before moving on to Wordy Qwerty. I honestly felt that first program would have been a better fit for Connor, and possibly for Ryan as well. Both boys seemed to be at a disadvantage not being through that program first.

A five-year on-line subscription to Wordy Qwerty runs from $25.00 for one student at a time to $71.25 for 5 users at a time. Specific users may change at any time during your subscription period. A CD version of Wordy Qwerty, which includes an audio CD of the 20 Wordy Qwerty songs in addition to the CD-Rom of the program, is available for $35.00. (CD is not compatible with Windows 7 or Mac 10.6).

Click here for more Wordy Qwerty reviews from the Crew.

I received a complimentary one-year, two-user subscription to Wordy Qwerty for the purpose of this review. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinions. Your experience may vary.

Mad Dog Math: A TOS Crew Review

2011-05-18T22:18:00.002-04:00

I remember timed multiplication drills, and I don't remember them fondly. I remember being a bundle of nerves, forgetting my math facts at the last minute, and struggling through the test convinced I'd never pass third grade math. Fortunately, I did eventually memorize those math facts, and I did pass third grade math, but I sure didn't have any fun doing it.

Earlier today, I was talking with another homeschooling mom about our struggles in getting our own children to realize the importance of memorizing those same multiplication tables. It seems memorizing multiplication tables hasn't become any easier, or any more fun, in the past 30 years. My boys can memorize 630 different Pokemon and their statistics, but they can't remember 7 x 8 or 6 x 9, why is that?

I don't know for sure, but it could have something to do with the fact that they just don't think it's all that important. I mean, they are both doing well in math, even without having those facts memorized (for now), so why should they spend the time mastering these facts... especially since memorizing them is not fun!

But wait, drilling and memorizing those facts can be fun. Twenty-five years ago, third-grade teacher Julie Kotoff developed a pencil and paper drill to help her students master their multiplication and division facts, and she made it cute and fun. More recently, she developed a computer-based version of the same program: Mad Dog Math.

The name alone was enough to have my kids clamoring to give the program a try. Add the adorable Golden Retriever, Kotoff's own dog Ruff, and the awards the kids can receive for completing drills accurately and within specified time limits, and math drills actually did become fun. Kids can drill addition and subtraction facts through 18, and multiplication and division facts through 12. The program keeps track of accuracy and timing, and kids are only moved on to the next level drill if they successfully complete the previous level, making it super easy for mom to track their progress. Challenge levels mix it up and keep the kids working to new levels of mastery, and might give mom a run for her money, too, if she hasn't been practicing those facts for a while.

The boys dubbed Mad Dog Math F-U-N; they didn't balk at spending about 10 minutes a day drilling their math facts; and they have shown steady improvement in their math-fact memorization. What more could one ask?

The Mad Dog Math software download, which will track more than one student on multiple levels, is available for Windows only. A one-year download license is $19.99. A two-year license is $29.99. A perpetual license is also available for $39.99. You can try it out for free by visiting the Mad Dog Math website.

Mad Dog Math is also available in print form in a Homeschool Mastery Binder, or on CD-Rom. Both the print-binder and the CD-ROM retail for $69.99.

Click here for more Mad Dog Math reviews from the Crew.

I received a complimentary limited-time download of Mad Dog Math for the purpose of this review. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinions. Your experience may vary.

WonderMaps by Bright Ideas Press: A TOS Crew Review

2011-05-16T22:52:00.002-04:00

Have I mentioned before that I have a child who LOVES maps? A young man who thinks the best present his dad can bring home from a business trip is a map of the city, or even better yet, a map of the subway system in that city? Who at the age of four would spend hours on Google maps studying the highways and topography of his favorite places? I'm sure I have.

Well, let me just tell you, that same young man was over-the-top excited when he heard about our latest product to review as part of our TOS Crew voyage: WonderMaps by Bright Ideas Press. WonderMaps is a customizable collection of over 350 different maps including 60+ maps of the world, 60+ maps of the USA, 125 historical maps - including 25 biblical maps, and the complete map sets from The Mystery of History vols. I–III and All American History vols. I & II (also published by Bright Ideas Press.)

WonderMaps is designed with easy-to-use layers that allow you to enjoy great customizable features with just a click. Students can switch between historical or modern-day maps; outline, reference, political, or topographical maps; black-and-white or color maps; and features including: names, borders, rivers, cities, physical features, and graticules. Now how cool is that? Well, according to my son, "It's really cool!" And the Teacher's Guide is simple and easy to use, always a plus when you're trying to figure out how to take full advantage of a new product!

Take a look for yourself at all WonderMaps has to offer:

WonderMaps sells for $49.95 and is available for PC or Mac. It does require Adobe Reader v. 9.1 or higher which is available as a free download from Adobe.com

Click here for more WonderMpas by Bright Ideas Press reviews from the Crew.

I received a complimentary download of WonderMpas by Bright Ideas Press for the purpose of this review. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinions. Your experience may vary.

Institute for Excellence in Writing: A TOS Crew Review

2011-05-13T19:52:00.005-04:00

I am a writer. I love to write. I have two boys, however, who loathe writing. They are mathematicians, future physicists or engineers like their grandfathers and their father. As hard as I try, I have not been able to introduce them the joy of writing; for my boys writing is the worst form of torture, it is drudgery. They are unconvinced that writing is something they need to learn, and they are sure that writing is something they will NEVER actually enjoy. "It's time for writing." or "Let's write a story." are met with loud groans, violent head shakes, and lightening-fast fleeing to the closest room with a door they can hide behind. But without a doubt, even if they are to one day be physicists or engineers, my boys do need to know how to convey a thought or idea through the written word. They do need to know how to write.

I had heard other moms praise the Institute for Excellence in Writing's (IEW) Student Writing Intensive (SWI) program for years, but I just couldn't convince myself that I needed to spend that kind of money on a writing program. I kept thinking that since I can write and I enjoy writing, I should be able to figure out how to teach these reluctant boys of mine how to write. The problem was, the very fact that I can write and I enjoy writing made me a poor teacher for my boys who struggled with writing. I don't use a formula when I write, I just write. My boys needed more specific guidelines than "just write;" they needed a formula to guide their thoughts onto the paper.

As a part of the TOS Crew this year, I was asked to review IEW's Teaching Writing/Student Writing Intensive Combo Pack Level A which retails for $239.00 and includes Teaching Writing: Structure and Style (TWSS), Tips and Tricks DVD and Student Writing Intensive (SWI). With this combo, I received 2 sets of DVDs (one for the teacher, one for the student), the TWSS Seminar Workbook, and the Student Notebook with handouts and daily lesson suggestions. I also received one portable wall (retail $7.00). It likely goes without saying that I was jubilant when my box arrived from IEW! Finally, a reason to go ahead and give IEW a try with my 9-year-old, the child who would most likely balk at using the program (or any writing program, for that matter), and who would most likely benefit from the program... I hoped.

Ryan, my 9-year-old struggles with spelling and writing. He is a perfectionist, and what he can't spell, he won't write, and what he can spell strictly limits his writing in both style and structure. When we started IEW, I asked him to worry less about correct spelling and more about developing his ideas in the way that Mr. Pudewa, homeschooling dad of seven and developer of the IEW program, was teaching him. He agreed to give it a try. I won't say he didn't require lots of reminders to just spell his words as best he could, but eventually he opened to giving writing a try - a first for him!

Now, I will be the first to admit that I found IEW extremely intimidating at first. My combo package came with so many things. It took me a few weeks to sit down and look through it all and figure out where to begin, but when I did, I was pleasantly surprised. It really wasn't all that hard to implement and to adapt for the needs of my struggling writer. The hardest part was telling myself, "I can do this." and then actually getting started doing it. Teaching writing to Ryan had been a struggle for so long, my confidence that I would ever get through to him was waning.

I started out watching the Teaching Writing: Style and Structure DVD. TWSS explained to me, the teacher, why the IEW program was developed the way it was, what Mr. Pudewa was doing and why he was doing it the way he was when he taught the kids on the Student DVD, and gave me ideas for adjusting the program to Ryan's needs. In short, TWSS taught me how to teach writing to my son, the reluctant writer.

Next, I jumped right in and started Ryan with the Student Writing Intensive Level A. There are three levels of IEW's SWI. Each level assumes the child has no previous experience, so levels are chosen based on a child's maturity level rather than on his skill development . Ryan enjoyed watching Mr. Pudewa teach the writing lessons, even if he wasn't ever totally convinced he enjoyed writing. Andrew Pudewa is fun to watch, that's all there is to it. He's entertaining and funny, and he gets kids involved in his lessons. The lessons were straight-forward, and from the beginning Ryan understood what was expected of him. This doesn't mean he didn't struggle, he did, but we took it slow - very slow - and he is catching on. His writing has improved greatly since we began this program, and I am looking forward to seeing it continue to improve as we continue with the program, which we will do.

There are 15 lessons included with SWI - Level A. Each lesson is designed to take 1-2 weeks to complete, but may take longer depending on how quickly the child masters each unit. In addition to the DVD, student handouts, teacher notes, source texts, and checklists help you to ensure that your student masters each unit before moving on to the next.

IEW is an AMAZING company when it comes to customer support. Their website is a wealth of information, their booth attendants at homeschool conferences know the program, and there is a yahoo group where parents can ask questions and get a host of suggestions for making the program work for their family. And if all that support isn't enough, IEW comes with a full money-back guarantee. If at any time, for any reason you are unhappy with the program, you may return it for a full refund. Now, that's a company that believes in its product!

Click here for more IEW reviews from the Crew.

I received a complimentary copy of IEW's Teaching Writing/Student Writing Intensive Combo Pack Level A for the purpose of this review. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinions. Your experience may vary.

GoTrybe.com: A TOS Crew Review

2011-05-11T21:38:00.000-04:00

You hear it on the news, you read it in books and magazines, you see first-hand examples of it in stores and on playgrounds: there is an ever-growing number of obese children across the United States. Reports currently indicate that as many as 25% of our children between the ages of 3 and 19 are overweight or obese. The reasons for this are many, but poor diet and lack of exercise top the list, and this is why GoTrybe, an on-line fitness and nutrition community is setting out to deliver daily fitness, nutrition, and wellness information to children. GoTrybe.com allows your child to create workouts, learn about nutrition, and view motivational videos all while earning points that can be used to customize an avatar.

We received a trial subscription to GoTrybe.com for each of the boys and myself. We all enjoyed setting up our avatars - Connor was impressed that he could create a green avatar boy with pink hair and blue eyebrows - but that is about where the fun for our family ended. While I can certainly see why many families would love GoTrybe.com and its easily accessible work-out videos and nutrition information, for my boys who run track and cross country, ride their bikes and scooters all over the neighborhood, and play Wii Fit balance games when they are given video game time, the exercise videos, although well produced, just didn't cut it. I had hoped that we would be able to manually enter exercise time completed outside of the GoTybe.com videos to track our overall exercise, but did not find a way to do this in the program. Connor, especially, found this frustrating. He wanted, for example, to tell the computer that he walked 2 miles at the zoo last Saturday morning in order to gain points to alter his avatar, and was disappointed he was unable to do so.

Overall, GoTrybe.com is not something my boys were excited to do each day. They'd rather head outside to bike, spend an hour running at track practice, or try to catch fish without letting their penguins fall off of the ice floe on Wii Fit than watch exercise videos. On the other hand, I think I could have gotten into the videos on GoTrybe.com if I had more time to view the videos available for the warm-up, cardio, strength, and flexibility portions of a full workout in order to set up workouts I enjoyed, and if I could have figured out how to play the videos on our tv rather than trying to watch them on my little computer screen. I really didn't enjoy watching mouse-sized people and trying to figure out what exercise move they were doing now, particularly during the faster-moving cardio sections.

The videos produced by GoTrybe.com are quality productions and the exercises segments available are appropriate for a wide age-range, each tagged with the age student it is geared toward. If you and your family enjoy exercise videos and are looking for a fun alternative to your usual workout videos, go ahead and check out GoTrybe.com. At $39.95 per person per year, the program is certainly reasonable, and right now you can get a free one-day trial offer using the promo code: GETFIT. Then, if you decide GoTrybe.com is a good fit for your family, upgrade to a year membership for just $19.95 per person - that's FAR less than a family member ship at a gym.

Click here for more GoTrybe.com reviews from the Crew.

I received a trial subscription to GoTrybe.com for the purpose of this review. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinions. Your experience may vary.

Circle C Beginnings Series: A TOS Crew Review

2011-05-06T21:45:00.027-04:00

Writing children's books is nothing new for author Susan K. Marlow, and Andrea (Andi) Carter is a character that readers ages 9-14 have come to love through her Circle C Adventures series, but now younger readers can also join the fun with six-year-old Andi, her foal, Taffy, and her family and friends on the Circle C ranch in 1874. Ms. Marlow's new Circle C Beginnings series (Kregel, 2010) consists of four (and soon to be two more) chapter books for beginning readers. With easy-to-read text and fun illustrations, these books are sure to be a hit with young horse lovers everywhere.

We received the book Andi's Indian Summer to review. In this book, Andi's 8-year-old friend Riley reads her a scary dime novel, and now Andi can't stop thinking about being captured by Indians. When Andi and Riley ride too far from the ranch one afternoon, they meet two real little Indian boys. What follows is a gentle introduction to the differences, and the many similarities, between Andi, Riley, and the Indians - all God's children.

My boys both enjoyed reading about Andi's adventures. The easy-to-read text was still a bit difficult for my beginning-reader, but the story made a great afternoon read-a-loud, and now Connor (age 7) is clamoring to read more of Andi and Taffy's adventures, and I am willing to oblige his request. The story was fun-to-read, historically accurate, and a sweet reminder of the similarities between all God's children and the power of forgiveness.

In addition to the wonderful stories, the Circle C Beginnings series has an incredible website offering coloring pages and learning activity ideas to accompany each of the books, as well as fun on-line puzzles. Each Andi Circle C Beginnings book retails for $4.99 and is available through all of the usual bookstores and on-line sites, BUT if you order the book(s) directly through the author's website, you have the option of having the book personalized, and will receive a discount for ordering more than one book in the set. Oh, and while you're on the website, check out the lapbook kits available to accompany each of the Circle C Beginnings books. Although I haven't seen these kits first-hand, they do look like they might be a fun way to turn our enjoyable read-aloud experience into a full learning experience.

We truly enjoyed reading Andi's Indian Summer, and I'm planning on ordering a complete set of Circle C Beginnings books once the two newest ones come out in August, if I can convince Connor to wait that long for another Andi adventure... and I'm not sure I can!

Click here for more Circle C Adventuress reviews from the Crew.

I received Andi's Indian Summer by Susan K. Marlow for the purpose of this review. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinions. Your experience may vary.

Homeschooling When It's Too Nice to Stay Inside

2011-05-04T21:43:00.003-04:00

photo by Angie ~ Many Little Blessings

Spring is here! Trees are budding; flowers are blooming; birds are chirping; and homeschoolers are finding it harder and harder to stay inside to “do school.” Fortunately, one of the joys of homeschooling is that we don’t have to spend these beautiful spring days cooped up inside, sitting at a table, filling in workbooks, nor do we have to set all schoolwork and learning aside to enjoy the beauty of God’s world. We can have the best of both worlds!

When the weather is nice and spring fever sets in, our family moves our home school outdoors, sometimes simply unfolding a blanket under a tree and completing our usual spelling, math, reading, and grammar work, and other times trying something new. There are so many ways to encourage learning and enjoy the outdoors at the same time.

I'm over at The Homeschool Classroom today. Join me there for my post: Homeschooling When It's Too Nice to Stay Inside for a look at some fun ways to move your learning time outdoors when the weather is calling you out of doors. Oh, and be sure to leave a comment when you visit. I'd love to hear how your family takes advantage of beautiful weather on a school day!

Yesterday's Classics: A TOS Crew Review

2011-05-04T21:32:00.000-04:00

Yesterday's Classics republishes classic books for children from the golden age of children's literature: 1880 to 1920. Many of the titles offered have been out of print for decades, making them hard to find. Their offerings include history books from several civilizations, including Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, the Middle Ages, and Great Britain; works of poetry; hero tales; and some wonderful nature books. Their paperback books are high-quality, with original illustrations included whenever possible. Many of their books are used in popular homeschooling curriculum, including Ambleside Online and Tapestry of Grace.

My family was first introduced to Yesterday's Classics through their paperback editions of the Burgess Bird Book for Children and the Burgess Animal Book for Children some years ago. Both quickly became favorites in our family. The stories are truly charming, the illustrations lovely in their simplicity, and the typeset well laid out.

When were were given the opportunity to review e-versions of 225 Yesterday's Classics books through the TOS Crew this year, we jumped at the opportunity, finally purchasing the e-reader we had been talking about for months. Yesterday's Classics' e-books are available in Kindle and EPUB editions. If you don't own an e-reader, never fear, the EPUB formats are compatible with APPS for your computer, laptop, notebook, smart phone, or tablet.

The Yesterday's Classics books were straightforward to download and transfer to our new Nook. The Table of Contents for the books was simple enough to navigate that my nine-year-old thumbed through the downloaded books and quickly found the book he wanted to read first: Favorite Greek Myths. The Yesterday's Classics e-books turned out to be just as well put together as the paperbacks we have read in the past. Unlike many of the e-titles available free on-line, Yesterday's Classics e-books are professionally laid out: no missing pages, typographical errors, or pages that are too big to fit on the screen - making them enjoyable, not frustrating, to read.

Right now, through May 31, the Yesterday's Classics 225 e-book collection is available in either Kindle or EPUB format for only $99.95. The list of books is impressive, and can be seen here. Some of our favorites included the Burgess Bird Book for Children and the Burgess Animal Book for Children, of course, but also The Blue Fairy Book, Ten Boys Who Lived on the Road from Long Ago to Now, and Favorite Greek Myths. Of course, there are hundreds of books we haven't even started to read yet, so I'm sure our list of favorites will continue to grow over the course of the next few months!

Want to give the Yesterday's Classics e-books a try? You can download The Dutch Twins for Kindle or EPUB free of charge from the Yesterday's Classics website. If you like what you see, go ahead and give the full collection a try. Yesterday's Classics offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee - what more can you ask? 225 books for $99.95 AND a money back guarantee! Oh, and fabulous customer support, too!

Click here for more Yesterday's Classics reviews from the Crew.

I received the 225 e-book collection from Yesterday's Classics for the purpose of this review. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinions. Your experience may vary.

Greek N Stuff - I Can Study Acts: A TOS Crew Review

2011-04-29T18:22:00.000-04:00

I Can Study Acts Alone With God (NIV) is a 52-week Bible study designed for middle and upper elementary children to complete on their own. Each weekly lesson contains six parts, one for each day of the week, Monday through Saturday. Students are encouraged to begin each day with prayer, to read or recite a memory verse, to read a Bible passage and answer discussion questions, and then to end the week with a practical application of the week's passage: something to "Think and Pray About It." The only materials needed, in addition to the I Can Study Acts workbook are a Bible and a pencil.

I Can Study Acts Alone With God uses short Bible passages and straightforward discussion questions to make the Bible study accessible to younger children working independently. My son, age 9, had no difficulty with the reading or the question answers, but he did struggle to write his responses to the questions on the small lines provided. As a result, we altered the Bible Study format slightly. Ryan did the reading on his own, and then we answered the discussion questions together orally. This not only enabled Ryan to complete the Bible Study without the dreaded writing component, but also permitted me to stay in touch with what he was reading, what he was understanding, and how he was applying his study to his daily life. Although developed for middle to upper elementary students to complete independently, this Bible Study may also be used with younger children when used together as a family to guide family devotions.

Overall, I Can Study Acts Alone With God is a well-developed, well-organized study of the book of Acts. The workbooks are available on-line through Greek N Stuff and sell for $23.95 each. Additional studies for the books of Jonah and Ruth, 1 Samuel and Esther (prices vary) are available. To see a sample of a page from the I Can Study Acts Alone With God (NIV) workbook, go here. The workbook is also available in KJV.

Click here for more Greek N Stuff reviews from the Crew.

I received the I Can Study Acts Alone With God (NIV) workbook for the purpose of this review. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinions. Your experience may vary.

See The Light Art Class: A TOS Review

2011-04-22T19:59:00.044-04:00

Master Artist Pat Knepley has been drawing since she was four years old. She holds a degree in Art Education from Penn State University (GO Nittany Lions!), and loves to share her passion for drawing with the young and the young-at-heart. Pat's See the Light Art Class is a 9-DVD art program that requires no previous art experience to use. Each DVD consists of four lessons that teach art basics together with art history and Biblical truth.

Our family received the first of the nine DVDs to review. The four art lessons on this DVD covered tools of the trade, lines, contours and composition, and drawing what you see. Now, my boys are not artists. Neither one of them enjoyed coloring as preschoolers, and at seven and nine, they still can't draw much more than a stick figure, so I wasn't sure what they'd think of sitting through a drawing lesson on DVD. I was afraid the words "art lesson" and "drawing" might send them running from the room screaming... but they didn't, and truth be told, the boys actually enjoyed their first four art lessons.

The first lesson is a simple, non-intimidating - even to two little boys who would rather do just about anything than draw - introduction to the basic tools of drawing (a number 2 pencil and a sheet of paper) as well as the traditional and over-hand pencil grips. Pat's simple vocabulary and thorough but straight-forward explanations make drawing seem doable for just about anyone. Lesson two progresses on to lines: thin, thick, jagged, curved - after all, what is drawing but a collection of lines. Lesson three introduces the idea of allowing your hand to be led by your eye around the contour of an item (an apple in this case). My boys struggled with this a bit, but were encouraged by Pat's suggestion that even the best artists had to practice to get it just right, and by lesson four, the kids were trying their hand at drawing a common object, a shoe. The DVD quality is excellent with good, clear sound and a non-distracting set that makes it easy to focus on Pat and the techniques she is presenting in the lesson.

Now, while my boys couldn't possibly be called accomplished, or even average, artists after their fourth art lesson, they can now be called enthusiastic artists, possibly for the first time ever. The four art lessons they completed were just long enough and just involved enough to keep their interest, and leave them willing to do more, even if not asking to do more right away.

Though my boys were satisfied with their 4-lesson introduction to art, they aren't jumping up and down asking to continue with more lessons right away. As a result, we're not likely to purchase the rest of this set at this time, but if you have a budding little artist, be sure to take a look at See the Light's Art Class. The first three lessons are available on-line free here or on a DVD here. And you'll find a detailed look at the lessons included in all nine-DVDs or all 36 on-line lessons here.

A set of 9 Art Class DVDs sells for $99.99. An on-line subscription option is available for $10.00 a month. With your initial on-line subscription you'll receive access to the first four lessons.. Each subsequent month your subscription will unlock the next four lessons while still giving you access to all the lessons you've worked through to date!

Click here for more See the Light Art Class reviews from the Crew.

I received the first DVD of the nine-DVD Art Class set for the purpose of this review. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinions. Your experience may vary.

An Eye for Glory by Karl Bacon: A CFBA Book Review

2011-04-22T18:00:00.003-04:00

The beautiful weather, the end of the year crunch, family obligations... blame it on what you will, but I haven't finished reading An Eye for Glory [Zondervan (February 28, 2011)] by Karl Bacon yet. So, for now, suffice it to say that I am enjoying what I've read so far. I'll be back with a full review in a week or two. In the meantime, check out the first chapter of the book (see link below) and let me know what you think.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Michael Palmer is a good man, a family man. But honor and duty push him to leave his comfortable life and answer the call from Abraham Lincoln to fight for his country. This 'citizen soldier' learns quickly that war is more than the battle on the field. Long marches under extreme conditions, illness, and disillusionment challenge at every turn. Faith seems lost in a blur of smoke and blood...and death.

Michael's only desire is to kill as many Confederate soldiers as he can so he can go home. He coldly counts off the rebels that fall to his bullets. Until he is brought up short by a dying man holding up his Bible. It's in the heat of battle at Gettysburg and the solemn aftermath that Michael begins to understand the grave cost of the war upon his soul. Here the journey really begins as he searches for the man he was and the faith he once held so dearly. With the help of his beloved wife, Jesse Ann, he takes the final steps towards redemption and reconciliation.

Using first-hand accounts of the 14th Connecticut Infantry, Karl Bacon has crafted a detailed, genuine and compelling novel on the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. Intensely personal and accurate to the times, culture, and tragedy of the Civil War, An Eye for Glory may change you in ways you could have never imagined as well.

If you would like to read the first chapter of An Eye For Glory, go HERE.

Watch book video trailer:

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A word from the author:

I grew up in the small picturesque town of Woodbury, Connecticut. After graduating from Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, I returned to Connecticut and found employment in manufacturing. “Just a job” turned into a professional career, much of which was spent working for a Swiss machine tool company. In 2000 I started my own business to provide services to manufacturing clients across the USA. This change also allowed time to develop my writing craft.

From youth I’ve been a serious student of the Civil War. The draft of An Eye for Glory took ten years from conception to completion. Thousands of hours were spent researching every detail through copious reading, Internet research and personal visits to each battlefield so the novel might be as historically accurate and believable as possible. I live in Naugatuck, Connecticut with my wife of thirty-three years, Jackie.

Overcoming Homeschool Burnout: A Homeschool How-To

2011-04-21T00:37:00.000-04:00

It's THAT time of year! The days are getting longer, the weather is getting warmer, the end of the traditional school year is drawing nearer, and homeschooling moms everywhere are wearing down. They're getting tired, losing patience, and worrying over how far behind they've fallen in science, or history, or mathematics. And while ushering the kids onto the yellow school bus may seem like the best solution, there are certainly a host of other ways to address homeschool burnout that might not require such a major life-change.

I'm over at The Homeschool Classroom today. Join me there for my post: Overcoming Homeschooling Mom Burnout for a look at some tried-and-true methods to put the spring back in your step and the fun back in your homeschool.

Growing Healthy Homes: A TOS Crew Review

2011-04-20T22:57:00.008-04:00

I have one child who will choose to eat an apple over a piece of cake, a mango over a brownie, and a pear over a piece of pie. I have another one who has a list of "don't like" foods longer than he is tall (4'1", in case you're wondering). I have one child who runs everywhere he goes, getting plenty of exercise throughout the day, and another one who would prefer to sit and read a book or play a video game, never leaving the couch. The one eats nutritious foods because they taste good, not because he understands they are good for him; the other gets plenty of exercise because he's full of energy, not because he's learned that exercise is good for his health, and that's fine, but I would like the one who doesn't like any fruits other than bananas to know why he should at least try an apple or a pear, and I would like the one who prefers to sit and read to understand that when I tell him to go outside to run and play, it's not simply because I want him out of the house. And that's where Nutrition 101: Choose Life! comes in.

Nutrition 101: Choose Life! is a beautifully-illustrated, concisely-written 448-page study of "how we eat, what we eat, how the body works, and how these foods affect the body." Developed by a veteran homeschooling mother, her daughter, and her daughter-in-law, together with Debra Rayburn, N.D., M.H., C.N.C., I.C.A., Nutrition 101 can be used together as a family. It is appropriate for everyone from preschoolers, to high schoolers in need of a health credit, to adults.

Nutrition 101: Choose Life! covers the 12 main body systems in six units:

Unit 1 - The Brain and Nervous System

Unit 2 - The Digestive System

Unit 3 - The Respiratory, Olfactory, Auditory, and Visual Systems

Unit 4 - The Muscular and Skeletal Systmes

Unit 5 - The Cardiovascular and Immune System

Unit 6 - The Endocrine System & Emotions

Each unit of Nutrition 101: Choose Life! is divided into chapters that include information about body systems or how food affects them, discussion questions, activities, additional resources, Biblical passages offering encouragement, and recipes. The appendices in the book provide pages of additional fascinating and useful information on topics such as how to select fresh produce, fiber-rich foods, asthma, mold, and spices, just to name a few.

Wanna see for yourself? Check out what these moms and kids who have used the program think about Nutrition 101: Choose Life!

Then go here for a peek inside the book.

Like what you see? We sure did! The boys LOVED the activities included with each chapter! But then, what young boy wouldn't love measuring out a string to see first-hand just how long your small intestines are? And the recipes we tried were good. The recipes use alternatives to dairy such as rice milk or coconut milk, which worked well for our dairy-allergic children. We did have to make a few changes to remove gluten from a few of the recipes, but I'm getting relatively good at this. It's not nearly as hard as it once was.

Nutrition 101: Choose Life! is available from Growing Healthy Homes in pdf-format on CD for $79.95, in hard-bound book format for $99.95, or as a set of both the CD and the book for $129.95. And right now, if you order Nutrition 101: Choose Life! you can get 15% off by using the code TOScrew2011.

Still wanting to hear more? Tomorrow, April 21, The Old Schoolhouse is hosting a webinar with Sera Johnson, one of the authors of Nutrition 101, at 4:00 p.m. EDT.

Click here for more Nutrition 101: Choose Life! reviews from the Crew.

I received a pdf-version of Nutrition 101: Choose Life! for the purpose of this review. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinions. Your experience may vary.

He Said, She Said by Eddie Jones and Cindy Sproles: A CFBA Book Review

2011-04-20T19:00:00.014-04:00

He Said, She Said [Lighthouse Publishing (February 14, 2011)] by Eddie Jones and Cindy Sproles is a devotional for couples, an aide to draw them closer to God and to one another. And, it's wonderful! The writing is heartfelt and honest, and at times funny; the topics relevant; and the his and her discussions thought-provoking. Starting with the first line of the very first He Said, "Love is a four-letter word and that word is 'work,'" the wisdom contained within these pages is something that every Christian couple, whether dating, recently married, or celebrating their silver wedding anniversary should read. It is a reminder of what a marriage is, or should be, once the giddiness, the infatuation, and the lust diminish and the daily-grind takes over.

Each devotion of "story" consists of a passage of scripture, a well-constructed real-life application, a prayer, and a "Building Blocks of Faith:" a witty quote that will leave you with a smile and something to think about throughout the day.

There is no right or wrong way to use He Said, She Said. The authors don't lay out a recipe for devotion or study. Instead, they present the reader, or readers, with 54 stories, each one capable of standing on its own as a devotion for male or female, although each is also labeled as "He Said" or "She Said" to make clear the writer's perspective. Read He Said, She Said together with your significant other, or on your own. Either way, it's wisdom is sure to help you in your relationships, all of your relationships, whether with your spouse, your children, or your parents.

I received this book from the author (through the CFBA) free for the purpose of reviewing it. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinions. Your experience may vary.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

He Said, She Said: A Devotional Guide to Cultivating a Life of Passion, or How Newlyweds, Couples and Singles Can Draw Closer to God and Their Mate Through Daily Devotions

Do you sense something vital missing from you relationship with your spouse, children and God? Are you easily distracted by the busyness of life and left feeling drained, bored, and discouraged? Do you sense you were meant to enjoy the richness of life, but spend your days feasting on crumbs? This heart-warming collection of stories (54 in all) will inspire you to reach for the true source of joy: a life lived for and through God.

These deeply personal (and sometimes humorous) devotions offer biblical insights and spiritual truths from the unique perspective of one man and one woman. Learn to cultivate a life of passion. Perfect for your quiet time, these moments of meditative reflection illustrate the importance of allowing God to work within you and speak through you. No matter if you are newlyweds or newly retired, this book of devotions will help you put the spark back into your love life and explore the precious relationships God desires for you. He Said, She Said touches the heart, tickles the funny bone and brings you to your knees in worship.

If you would like to read an excerpt from He Said, She Said, go HERE.

Watch the book video:

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Eddie Jones and Cindy Sproles are the co-founders of Christian Devotions Ministries. Their He Said, She Said devotions are syndicated in a number of newspapers across the eastern seaboard and they host the weekly He Said, She Said Radio, Friday nights at 6:00 p.m. est. on Blog Talk Radio. Eddie and Cindy are popular speakers and teachers at Writers Conferences across the country.

Eddie is the author of five non-fiction books and his newest fiction release, The Curse of Captain LaFoote, a middle grade book. Cindy is the author of one non-fiction and two compilations.

Together they teach writing with WritersCoach.us. Eddie and Cindy have been writing the He Said, She Said devotions since 2008, taking one scripture weekly and looking at it from two perspectives--His and Hers, with the idea that learning more about scripture from two perspectives helps one to delve deeper in God's word and know Him better.

Another Dawn by Kathryn Cushman: A Book Review

2011-04-09T00:04:00.004-04:00

Grace Graham's life has never been easy. She grew up in the shadow of her bright, well-mannered older sister; her mother died when she was in high school; her relationship with her father always strained, fell apart; at twenty she found herself pregnant and alone; and now four years later, her engagement is off; and her older sister is guilting her into coming home to care for their father as he recovers from surgery. Things go from bad to worse as a decision she made just four years ago comes to haunt her, tearing apart her family, and dividing a town.

Another Dawn by Kathryn Kushman is Grace's story: a story of pain, of loss, of remembering, of family, and above all, of forgiveness. While it took me a few chapters to figure out what was going on with the story, once I did, I couldn't put this book down. The writing isn't fantastic, the characters aren't the most compelling, and the author brings in a few too many current-day references (Sandra Bullock, Bob the Builder, Handy Manny) for my taste, and yet I didn't want to stop reading, and when I came to the last page, I was sorry the story was over. I picked up this book on our way out to track practice yesterday evening, stayed up late (when I had planned to turn in early) reading it last night, and couldn't wait to finish it this morning.

This book deals with some difficult issues: the relationship between vaccinations and autism; the responsibility of individuals for choices they make and their effects, no matter how unintentional, on others; and the role of family and the importance of forgiveness, above all else. It doesn't tout one side of any of these issues as "right," but rather gives thoughtful consideration to both sides, allowing the reader to come to her own conclusions, and this is perhaps what makes this book such a compelling read.

I received this book from Bethany House Publishing free for the purpose of reviewing it. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinions. Your experience may vary.

The Daughter's Walk by Jane Kirkpatrick: A Book Review

2011-04-08T21:51:00.001-04:00

The Daughter's Walk by Jane Kirkpatrick [Waterbrook Press (April 5, 2011)] is the story of Clara Estby, daughter of Norwegian-American Helga Estby who in 1896 accepted a $10,000 wager from the fashion industry to walk from Spokane, Washington to New York City within seven months. The two women were to make their way 3,500 miles across the country on foot, refusing all offers of rides or monetary assistance. The trek was to advertise the new reform dress (skirts above the ankles) for women, and to prove that women could be independent and self-sufficient during a time when to consider such an adventure would have been considered fool-hardy, dangerous, and irresponsible. Helga Estby saw the wager as a way to save the family farm from foreclosure, and so against her husband's wishes, she and Clara set out on the life-altering walk.

The Daughter's Walk covers Clara's time walking across the nation with her mother, but doesn't stop with the women's arrival in New York City, and their distressing return home to a life forever altered. The Daughter's Walk continues after the Estby's return to Mica Creek, Washington, following Clara as she separates from her family, changes her name, and strives to create a life for herself, always searching for something more. The Daughter's Walk is a beautiful blending of historical fact and carefully expanded fiction. Jane Kirkpatrick conducted extensive research in regards to the Estby's walk and the years following their return. She interviewed surviving family members, researched towns and industries in which Clara was noted to work, and ran scenario after scenario by these relatives and experts until she had created a believable extrapolation of Clara's post-walk life.

The Daughter's Walk is as much about family and forgiveness as it is about history. I found that I remained an outsider-looking-in throughout the story, never quite transporting into the early 1900s as I read; but while I never felt a part of the story, I remained an interested party, ever wanting to know what obstacle Clara would face, and overcome, next. I laughed at Clara, cried for her, if not with her. I found Clara's adventures on the walk fascinating; her courage and perseverance in the face of adversity encouraging; and her inability to put her trust in others after her heart was broken, disheartening.

The Daughter's Walk is a must-read for anyone interested in womens' suffrage, the power of women to overcome, the importance of family, and the role of forgiveness in moving forward. Download the first chapter of The Daughter's Walk here.

I received this book from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group free for the purpose of reviewing it. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinions. Your experience may vary.

Science Weekly: A TOS Crew Review

2011-04-08T15:00:00.000-04:00

Science Weekly is a four-paged science supplement available on a variety of fun topics. Topics for 2010-2011 included: pulleys, cats, the Flu, glass, fractions, composting, the science of movies, scuba diving, poisonous animals, caves, teeth, deserts, green buildings, and the moon. Each issue of Science Weekly is written at SIX reading levels, from kindergarten through grade 6! This allows parents of multi-aged children to explore the same topic with all of the children, at a level appropriate for each.

For our review, our family received all six levels of Science Weekly focusing on the Flu! The four-paged, 8.5x11 inch publication reminded me of a newsletter for kids. The illustrations were bright and bold, and the print easy to read. Each level introduced age-appropriate vocabulary, math, and writing (or storytelling) activities related to the topic, as well as an appropriate science lab experiment, a puzzle, and a challenge activity. One copy of teaching notes for The Flu which included background information on the Influenza virus and the answers for all levels of the Flu publication was also included.

Both boys (ages 7 & 9) enjoyed reading through their age-appropriate Science Weekly on the Flu, but groaned at having to complete writing exercises, however brief, related to their study. The information provided in the Level A (first grade) newsletter was very basic, covering only the symptoms of the Flu and saying nothing of the cause; however, the teaching notes provided plenty of additional information to address my younger son's series of "but why?" and "how?" and "what if?" questions. The third grade newsletter answered most of my 9-year-old's questions, but he still asked to read the "harder" newsletters, and seemed to enjoy the additional information and vocabulary introduced by these more-advanced levels.

The Science labs were by far our favorite part of the Science Weekly publication. The experiments were age-appropriate, easy to do, and truly did help to demonstrate a variety of topic-related concepts to the boys, including how the flu virus is spread and how a vaccine works to block a virus.

We really enjoyed having all six levels of Science Weekly on one topic. It enabled the boys to complete academic activities at their respective levels, but also allowed us to do slightly more involved reading and science labs when they showed interest in learning more. Unfortunately, Science Weekly is purchased per student, by level, so most families would not have all 6 levels on one topic available to them at one time.

Overall, the Flu issue of Science Weekly was a fun addition to our science studies. Subscriptions to Science Weekly are $19.95 (for 15 issues) per child for less than 20 subscriptions, or $4.95 per student per year for 20 subscriptions or more (at any combination of levels). If you can gather together a group of homeschoolers to take your order over that 20 subscription mark, then I'd strongly suggest you take a look at a sample Science Weekly newsletter to see if this might be just the thing for you. I decided at $40.00 for two children, Science Weekly just isn't something we can invest in at this time, even though we did have fun using the one issue we received to review. On the other hand, if I can find a group of 20 or more interested homeschoolers, I'll certainly consider $10.00 a year for my two students!

Click here for more Science Weekly reviews from the Crew.

We received all six levels of Science Weekly on one topic for the purpose of the review. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinions. Your experience may vary.

KinderBach: A TOS Crew Review

2011-04-06T23:19:00.005-04:00

I first heard about KinderBach several years back. I was thinking of starting the boys on the piano, but wasn't sure exactly how to go about teaching them. I didn't want to pay an arm and a leg for lessons, but I did want to be sure the boys were taught in an organized fashion, making certain they didn't miss any of the basics, something that can be difficult to do when you've been playing the piano for as many years as I have, but have never taught anyone else to play. I do not, after all, remember learning to play the piano; I just play.

I'm not sure where I first saw KinderBach, a video program designed to teach children ages 4-7 to play the piano while learning music theory: note reading, rhythm, singing, and vocabulary, but I was certainly intrigued by the program. KinderBach's founder, Karri Gregor, uses her enthusiasm; her musical experience and expertise; and adorable, memorable characters like Dodi the Donkey to introduce children to music and the piano.

Through a series of 240 video sessions, sixty weeks of music training, children are gently led through the basics of piano by the energetic, enthusiastic Miss. Karri and her "friends." The sessions are short enough to keep the attention of young children, but since they are designed to be child-paced, older children in the targeted age-group are able to move through the concepts more quickly, if so desired. The video lessons are active, encouraging the children to move and respond while participating. Most lessons have a coloring-sheet or other hands-on activity to reinforce the concepts introduced.

We didn't end up starting piano lessons a couple of years ago, as I had intended; not because I didn't like what I saw, I did, but after reading the Little House on the Prairie books, the boys decided to give violin a try instead; they wanted to fiddle like Pa Ingalls. When given the opportunity to review KinderBach as part of the TOS Crew a couple months back; however, both boys thought it might be fun to add piano to their growing music repertoire.

KinderBach proved to be a bit slow for my boys (ages 7 & 9) at the start. After a year and a half of violin lessons, they were familiar with quarter notes and high and low pitches, and found the review monotonous and some of the activities suggested a bit silly, but as we moved along in the program, their interest seemed to grow. I think they would have enjoyed the program more had we moved into the piano exercises sooner, but I was reluctant to allow the boys to skip lessons as I thought they might miss something they'd need to know later on in the program. In hindsight, I believe it would have been preferable to move them on to the keyboard work from the start, and so, from now until the end of our review period next month, we'll be moving through the lessons that send the boys on to the keyboard.

Overall, I believe KinderBach would be a wonderful program for young children with little or no musical experience, the audience for which it is most aggressively marketed. KinderBach is easily implemented, whether or not the parent has any musical experience.

KinderBach offers a FREE trial, so give it a try to see if it might be a good-fit for your preschooler. If you find the program works well for you and your children, KinderBach is available online for $19.99 a month or $95.88 a year (far less than a year of private lessons). Level options and multi-level bundles are also available, as are extras such as coloring books, crafts, and story and song DVDs. See all of the options here.

Click here for moreKinderBach reviews from the Crew.

We received a three-month on-line subscription to KinderBach for the purpose of the review. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinions. Your experience may vary.

Latin for Children - Primer A: A TOS Crew Review

2011-03-30T22:04:00.002-04:00

I didn't take Latin in high school: Spanish, French, German... but no Latin, and yet I have heard time and time again that Latin, although a "dead" language, is an important language for children to learn. After all, much of English comes from the Latin language, and so a basic understanding of Latin helps one to understand many English words, especially SAT words. You've heard that, too, haven't you? I thought so. Well, I got it into my head that my boys were going to learn Latin, but let me tell you. There is little more humbling than trying to teach a subject to your children while you are trying to learn it yourself. And I didn't find Latin all that easy to learn myself.

We did cover a bit of Latin in our Classical-education co-op this past year, but the boys said it was "too hard" and "boring." Not to be that easily deterred, I thought it over and decided that perhaps the problem wasn't Latin itself, but the primarily auditory presentation method. While the songs used in co-op to help the boys remember, for example, the conjugation of the verb Amo (to love) were catchy, they just weren't enough. That's when one of the boys' tutors recommended I take a look at Latin for Children.

Imagine my surprise when just a week later we were given the opportunity to review Latin for Children - Primer A through the TOS Crew. The boys couldn't wait for their "new" Latin program to arrive. When it did, they ran downstairs to watch the first lesson immediately. This from boys who repeatedly called Latin "boring."

The Latin for Children - Primer A DVD set consists of 32 video lessons. Each lesson begins with a group of children chanting the vocabulary for the week. While my first thought of the five children standing barefoot in front of the fireplace chanting Latin was that it looked like someone's holiday home video, the boys loved it. They were quickly repeating what they remembered of the lesson. Next in each DVD lesson, is a Latin grammar lesson. I found these fascinating. Sometimes the boys followed them, sometimes they didn't, but they never complained and they kept watching, and to me that spoke volumes about the quality of this program. Following the grammar lessons, the boys looked forward to the extras, their favorite being the very silly, and very fun, "How the West was Unus" stories acted out with favorite toys. Again, these were not high-quality animation or stop-action films, but for kids who are often bombarded with high-tech computer graphics and flawless animation, I think the boys enjoyed seeing something that seemed real, something that they could see themselves producing perhaps?

While we started our lesson each week by watching the DVD lesson, we listened to the Chant CD throughout the week as we complete the textbook activities. The Chant CD complimented the DVD, allowing us to practice our Latin vocabulary in the car as we drove to track practice or Cub Scouts, and enabling the boys to chant along more and more each time we watched a DVD lesson.

In addition to the DVD and Chant CD set, we received the Primer A Textbook, Primer A Answer Key, Activity Book, and History Reader. Together these items make up the Latin for Children A, Mastery Bundle.

The Textbook included reviews of the vocabulary presented in the DVD, detailed descriptions of the grammar lessons, worksheets, quizzes, and games. Ryan (third grade) enjoyed the workbook activities. Connor (first grade) found the activities a bit too challenging, and so we decided he would just view the DVDs and listen to the chants for now. In a couple of years, we'll have him go through the textbook if he needs more review of the concepts covered to date.

The Activity Book is cover-to-cover F-U-N! Word finds, crossword puzzles, mazes - all sorts of fun activities and games that encourage Latin vocabulary practice.

So, what do my boys think about Latin now? "It's still hard, but it's kind of fun!," says the one. "I amo Latin," laughs the other. Well, when you're talking to a couple of elementary-aged boys about Latin, that's a pretty impressive endorsement.

The Latin for Children Primer A Mastery Bundle I received retails for $99.95. The individual components may be purchased separately, but I can't think of one piece I received that I wouldn't recommend. Latin programs for younger and older students are also available, as are programs in Spanish, Greek French, Bible, and more. You'll find complete information on the Classical Academic Press website. In addition, Classical Academic Press, the publisher of the Latin For Children series (Primer A is the first book in a three-year series), offers an impressive variety of FREE-materials on-line at its website and at its new game-site, Headventure Land. Kids and parents alike are sure to love these extras!

Click here for more Classical Academic Press reviews from the Crew.

We received the Latin for Children Primer A Mastery Bundle from Classical Academic Press for the purpose of the review. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinions. Your experience may vary.

Vicious Cycle by Terri Blackstock: A CFBA Book Review

2011-03-25T17:38:00.004-04:00

Jordan is fifteen-years-old, pregnant, and addicted to methamphetamine. The daughter of a long-time meth-addict, there isn't much hope for Jordan or her baby. Lance Covington, fifteen, knows the power of drugs. He watched his sister, Emily, succumb to their power and fight her way back to health. He knows first-hand the chaos and heartbreak drugs can wield within a family. Kent Harlan is a police detective drawn into the folds of the Covington family at their darkest hour, moved by their strength, faith, and family loyalty. Once again, their lives will intersect in a thrilling story of mystery and suspense.

Set one-year after the last book in her Intervention Series, Vicious Cycle [Zondervan (February 22, 2011)] by Terri Blackstock, is the story of faith, persistence, and belief in the ability to overcome even the strong pull of drug addiction It is the story of lives intertwined, of the fight against evil, and of the victories possible through faith! If you have ever watched as a loved one struggled with drug use and abuse, you will recognize the truth and knowledge with which Terri Blackstock writes on this subject: the heartache, the powerful pull, the will that never seems to be strong enough, and the innocent victims: the children, in this story both Jordan and her newborn.

Vicious Cycle is a well-written story that will keep you turning page after page. You'll find yourself cheering the characters on through extraordinarily difficult times. You'll cry, you'll cringe, and you'll wonder, 'why?,' but you'll keep on reading with hope. The second book in a series, it is not necessary to have read the first book to enjoy this one - although, if you, like me, haven't read the first book, you'll likely find yourself wanting to go back and read the story from the beginning as soon as possible. Ms. Blackstock's writing holds just that much of a draw.

I received this book free for the purpose of reviewing it. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinions. Your experience may vary.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Terri Blackstock is a New York Times best-seller, with over six million copies sold worldwide. She has had over twenty-five years of success as a novelist. She sold her first novel at the age of twenty-five, and has had a successful career ever since.

Besides entertaining her readers, Terri tackles issues that she hopes will change lives. Her recent book, Predator, was inspired by her experiences on Facebook and Twitter, and her concern that people posted too much personal information about themselves. The book deals with an online predator who uses social networks as his playground. She hopes the book will change readers’ online habits. Her New York Times best-seller, Intervention, was inspired by her own personal struggles with a daughter on drugs. In the book, a mother hires an interventionist for her drug-addicted daughter. But on the way to treatment, the interventionist is murdered, and the daughter disappears. Barbara, the mother, sets out to search for her daughter. Terri modeled Barbara after herself, and poured many of her own emotions and experiences into that character. As a result, many families experiencing drug addiction have written to thank her for telling their story and giving them hope. Vicious Cycle, Book Two of the Intervention Series, releases February 22, 2011. She’s currently working on Book Three.

Other recent books include a stand-alone novel called Double Minds, as well as Last Light, Night Light, True Light and Dawn’s Light (from her acclaimed Restoration Series). She is also known for her popular Newpointe 911 Series and Cape Refuge Series. Terri makes her home in Mississippi, where she and her husband Ken are enjoying their empty nest after raising three children.

Terri has appeared on national television programs such as “The 700 Club” and “Home Life,” and has been a guest on numerous radio programs across the country. The story of her personal journey appears in books such as Touched By the Savior by Mike Yorkey, True Stories of Answered Prayer by Mike Nappa, Faces of Faith by John Hanna, and I Saw Him In Your Eyes by Ace Collins.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

When fifteen-year-old Lance Covington finds an abandoned baby in the backseat of a car, he knows she's the newborn daughter of a meth addict he's been trying to help. But when police arrest him for kidnapping, Lance is thrust into a criminal world of baby trafficking and drug abuse.

His mother, Barbara, looks for help from Kent Harlan---the man whom she secretly, reluctantly loves and who once helped rescue her daughter from a mess of her own. Kent flies to her aid and begins the impossible work of getting Lance out of trouble, protecting a baby who has no home, and finding help for a teenage mother hiding behind her lies.

In this latest novel of suspense and family loyalty, bestselling author Terri Blackstock offers a harrowing look at drug addiction, human trafficking, and the devastating choices that can change lives forever.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Vicious Cycle, go HERE.

Watch the Book Video:

BIG IQ KIDS: A TOS Crew Review

2011-03-25T14:58:00.008-04:00

Big IQ Kids is an award-winning on-line educational program specifically designed for elementary and middle-school children. The program presents daily, customizable lessons in spelling, vocabulary, math, and U.S. geography. Avatars use phonetically correct speech to teach and quiz in each area. Lesson completion is awarded with coins that can be exchanged for game time in an arcade of FUN educational and strategy games.

My boys couldn't wait to give this program a try! My 9-year-old (Ryan) headed straight for U.S. Geography where he worked on state location, state capitals, state abbreviations, and state spellings. He eventually got around to math, spelling, and vocabulary, but US Geography has remained his favorite throughout our review period. He's achieved mastery in state location, has made sufficient progress in identifying state capitals and abbreviations, and is now a well-spring of state-factoids: "Mom, did you know that California is the third-largest state?" or "Mom, Nevada is the driest state IN THE NATION!"

Within five-minutes of logging on the first time, my 7-year-old (Connor) reported his favorite section was math. Of course, I wasn't surprised when I found that he was completing simple one-digit addition and subtraction problems, something he mastered a couple of years ago, and earning coin after coin for his efforts. Fortunately, Big IQ Kids allows parents to customize their child's lessons. So, a couple of clicks here and there, and Connor was working on more appropriate addition with carrying, subtraction with borrowing, multiplication, and simple division. While math remained a favorite for Connor, he also enjoyed spelling and US Geography. Connor did not use the vocabulary portion of this program. We were disappointed to find that the avatars did not read the vocabulary definitions to the student. Definitions could be read word by word if the student clicked on each word in the definition, but this was slow, drawn-out, and frustrating for my beginning reader.

The customizability of this program was certainly a strength. Being able to input the boys' individual spelling words into the spelling lessons presented by BigIQ Kids made spelling practice fun and painless for all of us. The same held true for encouraging additional practice with mathematics on their current level.

There were a couple of concerns, primarily related to parental controls and student accountability, that I'd love to see addressed in future versions of this program.

First, while the ability to customize the lessons is certainly a strength of this program, the way the lessons are modified did create a bit of a problem. Parents share a user ID and password with their student. Once logged into the program, one only has to click on a "Modify this Lesson" button to be taken to the lesson modification page. While the "Modify this Lesson" page does say "For Parents or Teachers Only," both of my boys managed to modify their lessons themselves. Ryan decreased the number of math problems he had to complete to earn a coin, and Connor completely changed his spelling words to words he had mastered and could spell correctly on his own with no practice: dad, hat, cat, and Tom (the name of his cat), among others.

Secondly, while the program is designed for students to complete at least one lesson in each area each day, there is no control for ensuring they do so. My boys would anxiously complete several lessons in their favorite subject area, earn coins for each lesson completed, play a few games, and then leave the program. without working in their weaker areas. This can, of course, be addressed through parental interference, but quite honestly, I look for on-line programs the boys can work through on their own as we use on-line educational time primarily to occupy one boy in an educational task while I work one-on-one with the other.

Finally, the boys earned coins for their lesson completion regardless of their accuracy. At one time, Connor was playing in the arcade following his BigIQ Kids lesson completion while I worked on my computer across the room. I received an e-mail update informing me that Connor had achieved a score of 11% on his most recent spelling pop quiz. I would like to see some sort of minimum score, perhaps that can be modified by the parent based on a child's familiarity with the information or ability level, for game coin achievement.

Big IQ Kids offers a variety of options for students, including a FREE version that will keep most children occupied with educational lessons, on-line competitions, and games for some time. There is also a PREMIUM version which enables parents (or teachers) to monitor the progress of the student and to advance the student only when mastery of the subject matter has been reached, and to track and save progress which better enables parents to identify problem areas. Other benefits of the premium version include customizable cartoon buddies, full game page access, and the ability to save game coins and gaming high scores. Advertisements are also very LIMITED on the Premium program, with no ads displayed during lesson-time.

Pricing for the Premium version varies depending on the features you wish to access and the students may try out the Premium version for one-week FREE. For more information, and to try out BigIQ Kids for yourself, visit their website when you have some time to look around. You won't believe how much there is to see!

Click here for more BigIQ Kids reviews from the Crew.

Each of my boys received a one-year Premium subscription to BigIQ Kids for the purpose of reviewing it. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinions. Your experience may vary.

Spring IS Coming!

2011-03-16T00:27:00.005-04:00

We were greeted by our first garden bloom this morning: a sure sign that spring is on its way... and a reminder that it's time to get started on our garden clean-up and weeding.

Words by Ginny Yttrup: a CFBA Book Review

2011-03-15T23:25:00.006-04:00

Words [B&H Books (February 1, 2011)] by Ginny Yttrup was to be reviewed back in February. Winter storms delayed my review copy's arrival until after the scheduled review date, and as a result delayed my reveiw. But now that I've received the book and have had a chance to read it, let me tell you: IT WAS WORTH THE WAIT!

Sierra Dawn has been in mourning for over a decade. Unable to forgive herself for her part in Annie's death, she moves through life in a fog, finding enjoyment in little, and angst in everything. Even her highly sought-after art is driven by her deep-seeded and very personal anger and grief.

Kaylee Wren is living a life unsuitable for any 10-year-old girl, and yet she manages to find solace in the little things: a hollowed out redwood tree, a dictionary left behind by her mother when she left for the store and never returned, and words - beautiful words she has not spoken, and will not speak, but will instead tuck away in her mind to be brought out as protection when the evil encroaches.

Words is a beautifully written story about an ugly subject: the powerful hold of drugs, the evil of incest, and the innocent children who suffer. In Words, Ginny Yttrup pulls the reader into the depths of despair along with Sierra and Kaylee. Through all of the anger, frustration, and fear, however, a hope for a new life begins to blossom as Sierra learns to forgive and to love, even through the most difficult situations.

Words is not a book you will read and then set aside. It is a book that will stay with you for some time after you read the final page and close the back cover. The characters are haunting, the story is disturbing, and the power of forgiveness is overwhelming. It seems odd to describe this book as beautiful, but it truly is. I can't recommend Words highly enough!

I received this book free for the purpose of reviewing it. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinions. Your experience may vary.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

"I collect words. I keep them in a box in my mind. I'd like to keep them in a real box, something pretty, maybe a shoe box covered with flowered wrapping paper. Whenever I wanted, I'd open the box and pick up the papers, reading and feeling the words all at once. Then I could hide the box. But the words are safer in my mind. There, he can't take them."

Ten-year old Kaylee Wren doesn't speak. Not since her drug-addled mother walked away, leaving her in a remote cabin nestled in the towering redwoods-in the care of a man who is as dangerous as he is evil. With silence her only refuge, Kaylee collects words she might never speak from the only memento her mother left behind: a dictionary.

Sierra Dawn is thirty-four, an artist, and alone. She has allowed the shame of her past to silence her present hopes and chooses to bury her pain by trying to control her circumstances. But on the twelfth anniversary of her daughter's death, Sierra's control begins to crumble as the God of her childhood woos her back to Himself.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Words, go HERE. Or, if you'd you'd prefer, watch the book trailer video:

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ginny Yttrup is an author, freelance writer, and writing coach. As she writes, speaks, and coaches, her prayer is that God will use her words to replace the lies so many believe about themselves with the truth of His unconditional love and grace. To see someone grasp, perhaps for the first time, the truth of God's love, is truly an honor. Through a relationship with the Truth, Jesus Christ, the bonds of shame are loosed and freedom abounds!

When Ginny is not working, she loves spending time with her two college-age sons or with friends. She is surrounded by the most amazing people--each a gift in their own way. If she can spend time outdoors with those she love, it's even better. And she thoroughly adores her dog, Bear. He's a book lover too.

She has two grown sons and lives near Sacramento, California. Words is her first novel.

In the Shadow of Evil by Robin Caroll: A CFBA Book Review

2011-03-15T22:31:00.005-04:00

Layla Taylor has spent her adult-life making a name for herself in a male-dominated field, and finally she is being recognized for her efforts. Tapped for the regional Contractor of the Year award, she is now in consideration for the national award. Until the house that had won her the coveted award burns to the ground and a murdered body is found inside. Now, Layla must work to clear her name in order to save her business. When another building is burned, her office is ransacked, several townsfolk become critically ill, and her sister's home is bombed, however, it becomes clear that there is far more to this mystery than one body and one house, but could these things all be related? Together with police detective Maddox Bishop, Layla searches for the truth, and in the process realizes that there's more at stake here than her name and her business.

Set on the southern coast following the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, In the Shadow of Evil [B&H Books (March 1, 2011)] by Robin Caroll, weaves the real and all-too-common contractor fraud of the time together with a fictional story of murder, mystery, and just a tad of romance. After witnessing first-hand the devastation caused by unscrupulous contractors in New Orleans, I was intrigued by the premise of this book.

In the Shadow of Evil is the third in a series focusing on detective Maddox Bishop. I have not read either of the previous books. There were some questions that arose in my reading of this book that are likely answered in one of the previous books, but overall, In the Shadow of Evil works well as a stand-alone novel. An enjoyable read, the mystery is well-written and the story draws the reader along. The setting is timely, although I didn't find it as integral to the plot as I had expected; this story could have been set anywhere. The main characters are likable, and the villain is complex, not cut-and-dry evil; even so none of the characters jumped off of the pages to become real to me. If you like mysteries with just a tad of romance, this one is a good lazy afternoon read.

I received this book free for the purpose of reviewing it. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinions. Your experience may vary.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Born and raised in Louisiana, Robin Caroll is a southerner through and through. Her passion has always been to tell stories to entertain others. Robin’s mother, bless her heart, is a genealogist who instilled in Robin the deep love of family and pride of heritage—two aspects Robin weaves into each of her books. When she isn’t writing, Robin spends time with her husband of twenty years, her three beautiful daughters, one precious grandson, and their four character-filled pets at home—in the South, where else?

Robin gives back to the writing community by serving as Conference Director for ACFW. Her books have finaled/placed in such contests as RT Reviewer's Choice, Bookseller's Best, and Book of the Year. An avid reader herself, Robin loves hearing from and chatting with other readers. Although her favorite genre to read is mystery/suspense, of course, she’ll read just about any good story. Except historicals!

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Informed by the real-life fallout of the U.S. economy plus devastation caused by multiple hurricanes along the southern coast, In the Shadow of Evil casts the modern day story of a building rebound scam exposed. It begins when the body of a property inspector is found among the ashes of a burnt out Homes of Hope house. Wrapped up in this mounting case of unethical practices, supply shortages, and murder, top Louisiana homicide detective Maddox Bishop is losing his heart to a charitable contractor, Layla Taylor, whose own sister is under suspicion. He’s also about to discover a deep secret about his tragic past.

If you would like to read the first chapter of In The Shadow of Evil, go HERE.

Watch the trailer:

Apologia: Who Is God? A TOS Crew Review

2011-03-15T00:01:00.007-04:00

We've been using Apologia's Exploring Creation science curriculum for the past two years, and quite frankly, I love it! The books' chapters are written in easy-to-understand language that flows in an easy-to-read, conversational tone; the projects are fun and informative, but not overwhelming; and the boys are really learning about God's world and the science within it. So, when I was given the opportunity to review the first book in a relatively new Apologia series, What We Believe, I jumped at the opportunity, and I was not disappointed.

Who Is God? And Can I Really Know Him? is the first of four Apologia books comprising a curriculum of Biblical Worldview which strives to teach children to "use Scripture as a lens through which to view the world around them—to see everything the way God sees it—and know the truth." This first book addresses 10 questions, the answers to which will help your child to understand the truths on which their Christian faith is built:

Where am I building my life?

How can I know what's true?

What is God like? (Part 1 & 2)

Who are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit?

If God created the world, why isn't it perfect?

Why did God create me?

Will God meet all my needs?

Why does sin keep me from knowing God?

Is Jesus the only way to God?

The text of each lesson, designed for children ages 6 to 14, is written directly to the student, so it is easily read and discussed together with your child. Although a sample lesson structure is provided, the amount of time spent on each lesson can easily be customized to the child's interest level and attention span. Each lesson contains "the big idea," a short story related to the big idea, thought provoking questions, memory verses, vocabulary words, worldview study, and a hands-on memory aid: the House of Truth, a visual model of the Christian Worldview, is built part by part as new concepts are learned. (HINT: If your children love LEGOS as mine do, the House of Truth is a great opportunity to bring some LEGO time into your homeschool day!). In addition, the book's lessons are supplemented by additional teacher resources and notebooking pages available free of charge to book-owners at the Apologia website. (Information for accessing this site is in the introduction of each book).

My boys and I enjoyed the time we've spent working through this book. At seven and nine, the boys were quickly drawn into the adventures of Ben and Jeremy, two young friends who spend their summer learning about one another, their world, and God's truth as they explore the trails near Jeremy's mountain home. The correlations between the boys' adventures and the Biblical truths presented in the book were right on target, not over the boys' heads, and the questions our study raised and the discussions we had as a result of our study made it clear that the lessons were causing the wheels of faith to turn in my little guys' heads, just the thing Apologia set out to do.

Now, make no mistake, Who Is God? is written from a Christian Biblical Worldview. The world's other religions are presented for informational purposes, but this book makes it clear that there can be only one truth: the Christian truth. While this fits with our family's worldview, and we thoroughly enjoyed our time using this book, it is clearly not for everyone.

Want your own peek at Who is God? You'll find the first lesson here. Go ahead and look it over.

Who is God? And Can I Really Know Him? is available in hardcover from Apologia for $39.00. The second book in the series Who Am I? is also available from the Apologia website. The remaining two books have yet to be released. Who is my Brother? will be published in 2011 and What on Earth Can I do? will be published in 2012.

Click here for more Apologia's Who is God? reviews from the Crew.

I received Apologia's Who Is God? for the purpose of reviewing it. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinions. Your experience may vary.

The Key to the Kingdom: Unlocking Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom: A First Wildcard Book Review

2011-03-14T16:00:00.016-04:00

Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida holds a special place in my heart. After all, it was in Epcot in Walt Disney World that my husband proposed over twenty years ago. At that time, I had no idea we'd later move to Jacksonville, Florida, that I'd eventually work for the Disney Store (at the time, owned by the Walt Disney Company), or that we'd enjoy seasonal passes to the happiest place on earth for years, even before we had kids.

When I was given the opportunity to review a book that claimed to intertwine the magic of Walt Disney World with mystery and adventure, I was sure it would be an interesting read. Unfortunately, the book arrived not long before the scheduled post-date, and at a time when I was swamped with other responsibilities, so... I passed the book on to my dear husband who is always looking for a good read to make his daily Metro commute a bit less monotonous. He read the book in no time and agreed to write a review. So, without further delay, here is my dear husband's take on Jeff Dixon's The Key to the Kingdom: Unlocking Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom [Deep River Books (December 1, 2010)]:

If you have ever been to Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida you understand how easy it is to get caught up in the magic of the Disney parks. In Key to the Kingdom, the main character gets caught up in a quest to solve the mystery of his missing friend, a Disney Imagineer, using only an old skeleton key and his extensive knowledge of Disney’s world.

The key leads to clues that involve actual locations in the four Disney Orlando theme parks. Park goers will recognize the locations to which the key’s clues lead. In fact, you could take the book to the parks on your next visit and retrace the path of the clues from start to finish. Minus, of course, the clues that lead, in the story, to the main character visiting employee only areas and certain parks after they have closed.

The book is written in third person. As a result, you are privy to information that the main character does not know. At times this leads to a feeling that the story is pulling you along from one clue to the next before you have time to figure out the clue’s answer. I would have preferred the story to have been told from the first person perspective of the main character. I think that would have given the reader more opportunity to perhaps solve each clue, using their Disney knowledge, before the main character figured out each puzzle.

If you are a Disney fan, you will enjoy the attention to Disney trivia throughout the book. Even the most knowledgeable Disney fan will learn one or two new things. And the answer to the mystery puts the main character in a situation that any Disney fan would sell their entire Disney collection to experience. So grab the Key to the Kingdom and head off on a Disney trivia filled mystery.

And I know just who to send this book onto next. Watch your mailbox my dear Disney-sister - you know who you are - this one's for you! :)

I received a complimentary copy of this book for the purpose of reviewing it. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinions. Your experience may vary.

Special thanks to Arielle Roper of Bring It On! Communications for sending me a review copy

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jeff Dixon was raised in Florida and has always been fascinated with the man Walt Disney and the theme park he created. Dixon feels that any guest who would take the time to look would discover a story that will never be completed. It is against this canvas that Dixon paints this mystery, adventure, and thriller.

Visit the author's website.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Grayson Hawkes learns how imaginative and elaborate Walt Disney World is when he accepts an invitation from a trusted friend landing him in a world he never knew existed. Suddenly unraveling a perplexing puzzle and trying to solve a mysterious disappearance, Hawkes navigates through the kingdom where knowledge of seemingly unimportant Disney facts and some divine help are the only way he can discover the answers and get out. In this world Disney trivia is no game…And the ancient key is the only way out.

Soon the lines between right and wrong begin to blur, and telling the difference between real and unreal become nearly impossible. Loyalty to faith, family and friends are stretched to the extreme in the pulse quickening adventure through a magical place where dreams really do come true.

Key to the Kingdom: A Real Treasure Hunt at Walt Disney World from Marc Percy on Vimeo.

Key To The Kingdom Trailer from Marc Percy on Vimeo.

Product Details:

List Price: $15.99
Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Deep River Books (December 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1935265245
ISBN-13: 978-1935265245

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Day One

Night

Halogen headlamps pierced the darkness of the cool central Florida night. The GPS guided the Mustang surging toward the coastal community of Port Orange. Racing along Taylor Road, Dr. Grayson Hawkes approached an unknown destination. Questions swirled in the tornado of curiosity whipping through the preacher’s mind. The glow of the dashboard light illuminated the business card propped against the gearshift; “1819 Taylor Road, Port Orange” had been neatly printed in blue ink. Flipping the card he read the name on the other side.

Farren Rales

Imagineering Ambassador

Walt Disney Company

Reading the name of his dear friend brought a slight smile to his face. Rales had been hired by the late Walt Disney himself as an animator at the Walt Disney Studios on Rales’s thirtieth birthday. In the years that followed he had worked on animated features, been involved in projects at Disneyland, and eventually became a part of that exclusive group of creative Walt Disney Company designers known as Imagineers. Rales was part Disney historian, part Disney philosopher, and a modern day keeper of the dream that Walt himself had begun.

Farren Rales had given him the business card with an invitation to meet the old Imagineer at ten o’clock this evening. The GPS announced a turn seconds before an inconspicuous dirt road veered to the right. Hawk responded sluggishly and shot past it. He instantly banked his ride into a U-turn that corrected his course. Slowly navigating the heavily wooded, chassis-jarring dirt road, he watched for signage. The headlights threw a glow on a sign that read Gamble Place Parking with an arrow that pointed right. He turned the wheel. A gate immediately came into view, blocking forward progress. Hawk looked over the steering wheel trying to decide whether he had managed to bungle the directions and gotten hopelessly lost. With the car idling, he got out and walked to the gate. Grasping the chain that held the gate closed, he saw the lock had been secured to the chain, but the chain was not fastened. When he dropped the chain, the gate lazily swung open. Hawk slid back behind the wheel of the car and it crawled forward as the dirt became softer below the tires. The Mustang eased up to a parking barrier, above which the headlights shone on a yellow house trimmed in green.

Exiting the automobile, Hawk left the parking area and made his way toward the house. There was a display in front of the walkway to the house that probably explained where he was. The automatic timer for the headlamps clicked off, leaving him standing in darkness. Sensing his eyes would never adjust in the moonless night to read the display, he remembered a flashlight that was hopefully still in the trunk of the car. He retraced his steps. In addition to the soft sound of his shoe steps in the sand, Hawk thought he heard something else moving near him. He came to an abrupt halt. Rales? Listening closely, he now only heard the sounds of the outdoor evening. The trunk popped open, producing a blast of light that momentarily blinded him. He fumbled for the flashlight and flicked the switch. The beam shone strongly as he slammed the trunk shut. He again moved toward the house. Sweeping the beam around him, he saw a large historical marker looming in the dark, over his left shoulder. He refocused the attention of the light on this newly discovered sign.

Gamble Place

In 1898, James N. Gamble, of the Proctor and Gamble Company and a longtime winter resident of Daytona Beach, bought this land on Spruce Creek for use as a rural retreat. In 1907 he built a small cracker cottage with an open front porch and a breezeway connecting a separate kitchen and dining room . . . In 1938, Gamble’s son-in-law, Alfred K. Nippert, completed the “Snow White House,” a Black Forest style cottage inspired by the Disney animated film classic, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The house is surrounded by a Witch’s Hut, the Dwarfs’ Mine Shaft, and an elaborate network of rock gardens. Collectively these buildings and grounds form a historic landscape now known as Gamble Place. This property was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.

Obviously Rales had asked Hawk here because of the Disney connection. It had been a Disney connection that had started the friendship between the two men. Hawk had been introduced to Rales and asked the Imagineer if he would meet with him and his church staff to teach them the art of storytelling. The first meeting had gone so well it turned into a standing appointment each month. However this evening the invitation was for Hawk alone. Sighing deeply in an attempt to relax, Hawk listened closely and his ears tuned in to the sound of water gently playing along an unseen shoreline. The unexpected snap of a branch unleashed a wave of adrenaline spinning him in the direction of the noise. He peered into the blackness of the trees, searching for the maker of the sound, but heard nothing.

“Farren, is that you?” Hawk spoke with a bit more edge than he anticipated.

Silence confirmed Rales was not the source of the sound. “So when did you get so scared of the dark?” he muttered to himself. “And when did you start talking to yourself?”

Out of the corner of his vision he noticed a glimmer of light across the wooded darkness. With a bit of reservation he moved toward it. His shoes cracked sticks and crushed leaves, creating a symphony of sound that shattered the haunting noises of nature that had moments ago surrounded him. His flashlight began to dim. Shaking it violently he resurrected the brilliance of the beam, only to watch it fade into a momentary glow, and then disappear completely.

“Tremendous,” he said in frustration at the malfunctioning light. “Still talking to . . . and answering yourself.”

The point of light he had been moving toward disappeared as well. Pressing onward, he drew nearer to where it had been. Once again it appeared and this time looked brighter and stronger. Hawk’s trudging through the undergrowth yielded to softer ground as he heard a familiar voice cut quietly through the night.

“I began to think you weren’t going to make it.”

“I was starting to think you were playing a practical joke on me,” Hawk whispered back.

“Now, would I do that to you?” Rales laughed softly.

Hawk could now see much better as he approached the place where Rales stood. Farren had brought a lantern that illuminated the place he was standing and cast long shadows in multiple directions. Hawk descended the steps to join Rales on what appeared to be a recently created platform. The sound of the creek was closer and Hawk assumed they were now on the edge of the river. Rales was dressed in a pair of black slacks with a lightweight black windbreaker. Hawk did not miss the stealth attire and was getting ready to comment on it when Rales again spoke in a hushed tone.

“Any trouble finding the place?”

“I suppose not, since it’s out in the middle of nowhere!” Hawk decided to satisfy his curiosity. “And could you tell me why we’re whispering?”

“Didn’t you read the sign? We’re in a state park. It closed at dusk. We could get arrested for being here.”

“Then why didn’t we come here in the daylight?”

“Now, that wouldn’t be as much fun, would it?”

“Farren, we should clarify our definitions of fun.”

“Breaking into a state park is a story you’ll be able to tell for years!”

“I didn’t break in, the gate was unlocked.”

“So you opened it and drove on in.”

“You invited me.”

“Shhh,” Rales interrupted.

Hawk grew quiet and strained to hear sounds coming out of the darkness. He studied Rales’s tense features, trying to decide whether the old man was toying with him or was actually concerned that they might be caught after hours in the park. Rales’s face softened and he turned away from Hawk, letting his lantern shine toward a nearby wooden cottage that looked as if it had been plucked off of an animation cell from an antique piece of film. Hawk’s mouth opened slightly. Rales moved forward and panned the light across the front of this cottage that did not belong in this time or any other. It was recognizable as the cottage in the Black Forest of the classic cartoon Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Hawk’s eyes followed the movement of the lantern to the carved lintel and a stone trough. Rales moved toward the front door, fumbled with the handle, and then opened it. Looking back to Hawk, he motioned for him to follow him inside. Hawk entered, feeling like he was stepping into a fairy tale as Rales silently closed the door behind them.

The Key to the Kingdom: Unlocking Walt Disney’s Magic Kingdom

© 2010 Jeff Dixon

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This has been a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

It's Pinewood Derby Time!

2011-03-12T17:37:00.001-05:00

Last month, our Cub Scout Pack held its annual Pinewood Derby, the wooden car race that is a the highlight of the Cub Scout year for many a young boy. Ryan and Connor decided long ago that they had a better chance of winning in the design category than the speed category, and so for months they tossed around ideas for this year's cars. Never short on imagination and creativity, the trick was to come up with a unique design that could be created out of the provided wooden blocks and that would meet the height, width, length, and weight requirements of the Pinewood Derby races.

Ryan's first idea was to use his newly acquired skills to whittle a stick-shaped car. While on paper the idea certainly seemed doable, when it came time to pull out his pocket knife and begin carving the basic form of the car, Ryan discovered the block of wood too hard to whittle. Not easily deterred, Ryan revised his plans to suit a Dremmel tool and came up with the Roasted Marshmallow in honor of one of our favorite Cub Scout pastimes: roasting marshmallows for s'mores!

The boys must have been hungry the day they thought up their designs for this year's Derby because Connor's car, too, paid homage to an edible Cub Scout pastime: popcorn selling. Introducing Trails End.

Neither car was especially fast; both finished in the middle of their respective age groups, but as I said, Ryan and Connor strive for style over speed, and both boys earned style awards for their car designs at the Pack level. Ryan's Roasted Marshmallow won the second place Webelos award and the second place Best in Pack award, while Connor's Trail's End won the first place Wolf award and the third place Best in Pack award.

Trophies and ribbons were collected and the boys headed home to relay their good fortune, and to wait not all that patiently for the next level of competition: the Old Dominion District Pinewood Derby.

TODAY was the ODD Pinewood Derby. Hundreds of cars representing the best of the District's packs gathered to compete for top awards for speed or style. The style competition was fierce; clearly there are a large number of very creative boys out there! Both boys' cars made it to the final 9 for award consideration, but in the end, it was Connor's Trail's End car that took home top honors: Overall Best-in-Show! Our Wolf Cub Scout grinned from ear to ear when he realized that it was his car that was going to take home that GIANT trophy!

Losing to his younger brother was difficult for Ryan who has been to districts three years out of four, but has yet to take home a prize. Watching your little brother pick up the coveted top prize his first year at Districts is humbling, and in Ryan's words, "annoying," but Ryan's already talking about his design for next year's Pinewood Derby, so clearly he'll get over it, and maybe one day he'll actually give his brother a big pat on the back... well, a mother can hope!

Way to go, Ryan and Connor! Just making it to the District level is quite an accomplishment. We are so proud of you both!

The Outdoor Hour: Getting Started Challenge 1

2011-03-11T22:49:00.002-05:00

Anna Comstock's Handbook of Nature Study has been collecting dust on my bookshelf for several years now. I purchased it on the recommendation of a friend shortly after we began homeschooling, images of the fun the boys and I would have observing and studying local birds, plants, and mammals developing in my head. I spent several weeks when the book first arrived perusing the pages, but never quite got around to planning our first nature study adventure. Instead, I became bogged down in the amount of information available within this 3 inch thick book, and in trying to plan the perfect first nature study adventure, and so I pushed my nature study plans aside.

Some time later, I happened across a wonderful Handbook of Nature Study blog. I perused the blog, read Barb's entries of her family's experience using The Handbook of Nature Study, and planned our first nature study walk. On a beautiful spring day, we headed outdoors where the boys made it quite clear they'd rather fight with sticks and run than sit and watch ants or identify leaves. I was quickly frustrated by their lack of interest in my plans, so once again, I placed our Handbook of Nature Study back on the shelf and pushed my nature study plans aside.

After some soul searching and curriculum reviewing this winter, however, I recognized the need for more outdoor time, more hands-on learning, and more fun in our home school. I pulled the Handbook of Nature Study off the shelf once again, purchased Barb's Outdoor Hour Challenges Getting Started e-book (on the recommendation of a friend - the same one who recommended The Handbook of Nature Study all those years ago), and mentioned my desire to start regular nature study times to a local homeschooling friend, thinking that perhaps our nature study would be more likely to happen if we did it with another family. She agreed. That was a month ago.

A few days before our first scheduled nature study day, Connor started throwing up, effectively thwarting our nature study plans for that week. We decided to wait to start our nature study on our next scheduled date: two weeks from that first unsuccessful attempt, March 9 - yesterday. But yesterday, we woke to coastal flood warnings and an unrelenting downpour. With the growing excitement about our nature study day, we decided another two weeks was just too long to wait, and so we rescheduled for today! Fortunately, today everyone was healthy, and while the skies were overcast and the air was damp, there was no rain in the forecast.

We met our friends the P's at a wonderful local park. The ground was muddy, the stream was moving quickly, the lake had overflowed its sides, and the treasures to be found were many! Using the Outdoor Hour's Getting Started Challenge 1 as a guide, we encouraged the boys to listen, look, and feel. We figured we'd encourage them to look and study for 10-15 minutes, we'd discuss our findings, and then we'd allow the boys to play on the playground equipment they had made a b-line for the moment we arrived at the park.

Following the boys' lead, we braved the slippery banks of the stream and walked down to the fast moving water.

The boys tossed stones and sticks into the water, listening for the loudest plunk and racing sticks down the stream. Although this was not what either of the moms had in mind when we talked about conducting nature study, we let them play for a few minutes. One by one, they started to find treasures while they played: sweet gum balls, clam shells, and rocks of many colors. They listened for birds, and heard a cardinal and a trio of Canadian Geese. Mrs. P spotted a few marvelous footprints in the mud.

Deer print on top.

Perhaps a beaver or muskrat print on bottom, any ideas?

We directed the boys' attention to the trash in the tree roots and damage to the reeds and grasses, signs that the stream had in fact recently been three or more feet higher than it was even now.

Wanting to move the boys away from the fast moving water, we found our way to the other side of the stream to explore the wooded banks which turned out to be a peninsula, surrounded on three sides by the stream. Here we found signs of beaver activity: tree stumps whittled to a sharp point, wood shavings, and notches gnawed from felled logs; an interesting seed pod/egg sack which we'll be trying to identify this week; some berries, leaves, and acorns; and a really fun log that Ryan and Connor just couldn't resist using to cross the stream.

Next, we moved on to the lake. The water had swollen past the banks of the lake. The boys used a long piece of bamboo to measure the depth of the lake and to fish leaves, trash, and debris from the lake.

From top left: a beaver chewed tree, 5 boys with bamboo, a beaver print (?), lichen on a log, fishing in the pond, a beaver gnawed tree, more lichen, a praying mantis egg sack.

An hour-and-a-half later, we had explored the stream, the lake, and the woods. The boys had collected hand-fulls of treasures, tossed rocks, explored the woods, crawled across logs, fished for debris at the bottom of the lake, jumped in puddles, and enjoyed a morning of nature study.

Before heading home, we asked each boy to share one or two of his treasures. Each boy, from youngest to oldest, took a turn telling about his favorite finds.

Ryan's treasures:

A stick, a couple of sweet gum balls, some chips of beaver-gnawed wood,

a clam shell (perhaps belonging to an Asian clam), and acorn, and a piece of quartz.

Connor's treasures:

A praying mantis egg sack (broken from its perch by the floods),

a sweet gum ball, and Mountain Ash berries (or little tomatoes as Connor called them).

We came up with several items to try to learn more about in the next week: the egg sack, (which we now know is a praying mantis egg case), the clam shell (possibly from an Asian clam), and the orange berries (identified as being from an American Mountain Ash) topped that list. We also identified some things we'd like to revisit at this particular park later in the spring: the stream when the waters recede, the cattails at the lake as they grow, and the sweet gum trees when they bud and grow leaves.

We never did make it over to the playground equipment, neither of the boys even asked. Now that's what I call a successful first day of nature study!

Reading Kingdom: A TOS Crew Review

2011-03-07T00:01:00.043-05:00

I have a nine-year-old who reads beautifully but can't spell to save his life, and a seven-year-old who can't read much more than Bob Books and beginning readers, but believe it or not, spells beautifully (provided the words are phonetically regular). They're an interesting pair when it comes to language arts instruction, to say the least.

When I was given the opportunity to review an on-line reading program for children 4-10 years of age, I was sure my computer-loving, beginning reader would love it. I figured it would be too simple for my fluent reader, but decided to sign him up as well just in case it turned out to be a program he thought looked like fun. (You know, an attempt to avoid the how-come-he-gets-to-try-out-all-the-really-fun-stuff-and-I-get-all-of-the-boring-hard-stuff complaint).

As it turned out, Reading Kingdom was the perfect program for both of them. Designed by literary expert, Dr. Marion Blank, Reading Kingdom recognizes there is more to reading than just phonics; fluent reading requires children to learn sequencing, motor skills, sounds, meaning, grammar, and comprehension.

Now, before I lose you, dear reader, to a phonics verses whole-word debate, please note that Dr. Blank does not discount phonics, she simply recognizes it as part of the bigger picture. She understands that the best reading programs are neither whole-word nor phonics, but a little bit of both. "When children are taught all six skills, they easily master both reading and writing." To help parents to better understand How Reading Kingdom is different from other reading systems? Dr. Blank has put together a thorough, easy-to-read and understand .pdf that explains the six skills of reading and writing. Rather than restate what she has written here, I will defer to her write-up for a complete explanation. It's interesting reading, to be sure.

As for our experience using Reading Kingdom, both Ryan (the fluent reader) and Connor (the brilliant speller) were anxious to log-on and give the program a try. Each of the boys received their own account for the program as Reading Kingdom's instruction is individualized for each student based on a skills assessment and the student's progress on the various instructional activities presented within each lesson. The Reading Kingdom program consists of a pre-reading level which teaches visual sequencing and simple keyboarding skills, and 5 levels of reading instruction, covering pre-readling through about third-grade reading. No two students will have the exact same instruction.

The boys began with a skills survey that determined the level at which their instruction would begin. Both boys were evaluated as needing to begin with Level 1. Surprised? I was, at first, until we used the Reading Kingdom program some more. You see, Reading Kingdom teaches reading and spelling/writing hand in hand. While Ryan is a fluent reader, he is a lousy speller, and Reading Kingdom recognized this. So, where as Reading Kingdom turned out to be a great reading program for Connor, it also turned out to be a great spelling program for Ryan.

Connor loved Reading Kingdom from the start. The combination of computer time, cute animated animals, fun sounds, and tons of encouragement and praise made for reading instruction that seemed more like playtime than work, and for an active, seven-year-old boy who would much rather play than read, that's a good thing. Connor looked-forward to his "Reading Kingdom time" every day, sometimes twice a day, and over the past few weeks his reading has improved. He is recognizing words from Reading Kingdom in books we read at bedtime, but more than anything, he is reading with more confidence, and a more confident beginning reader is a more willing beginning reader; and a more willing reader is a more practiced, better reader! In Connor's own words, "Mommy, I can READ! "

As for Ryan, Phonics have never made sense to him. He just doesn't hear differences in sounds when they are spoken in conjunction with one another, and so he can't break them apart and blend them together to read or to spell. He taught himself to read using a self-derived form of whole-word reading that even now amazes me as it enables him to read both familiar and unfamiliar words, contrary to common criticism of whole-word approaches to reading. From the start, Ryan has read fluently and with expression. His comprehension has always been out of this world. Just don't ask him to write anything on paper; you won't be able to make heads or tails out of the sounds he puts together to form even simple words.

Reading Kingdom recognized and addressed this weakness, and over the next few weeks, I saw Ryan making real progress in the program, and the gains he made with Reading Kingdom on-line carried over to his work when not on the computer. Now, to be honest, we have also been using a fabulous spelling program that teaches phonetically regular spelling by teaching the rules of phonics, so Reading Kingdom was not the only program we were using, but together Reading Kingdom and this other spelling program have turned my non-speller into a confident speller in just a couple of months, and while he is still not spelling and writing on grade-level, he is finally at least willing to write - and I can read what he has written.

Both Ryan and Connor are able to complete their Reading Kingdom sessions on their own. Even after almost two months time, they are continuing to enjoy their time with Reading Kingdom, and I am seeing progress both within the program, and in their reading and spelling in their off-line work. I receive updates via e-mail when the boys move from one level to the next, although more often than not, they've already apprised me of their progress with their excited chatter about their latest reading successes. As if that weren't enough, the Reading Kingdom staff has proven itself to be most knowledgeable and extremely helpful.

Reading Kingdom is free for the first 30 days, so if you have a young reader or an older struggling reader (or speller), go ahead and give it a try. After the first 30 days, the program is $19.99 a month or $199.99 a year, per child. Completing the program can take anywhere from 3-6 months for a more advanced reader to 12-15 months for a pre-reader or beginning reader. If you try the program for 30 days and are convinced this is the answer for your child, but honestly can't afford the program, there are scholarships available! All in all, I have been extremely impressed with every aspect of Reading Kingdom, and I do hope you will take a few minutes to check out the program!

I received two one-year subscriptions to Reading Kingdom for the purpose of reviewing it. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinions. Your experience may vary.

Click here for more Reading Kingdom reviews from the Crew.

Out of the Mouths of Babes: She's a Campenbell!

2011-03-06T20:15:00.006-05:00

Tonight was Store Night at AWANA. This quarterly event is set up to enable the children to spend their hard earned "AWANA Shares" or "AWANA Bucks" on a variety of fun prizes, such as stuffed animals, footballs, games, and craft kits. Store Night is always a bit hectic, but the truly dedicated children still manage to say their memory verses at some point during the evening.

Patrick worked diligently with Connor this afternoon, helping him with memorizing the first six verses of Luke 2, the story of Jesus' birth. Connor has been stuck on this section of his memory work for a few weeks now. It's not that the verses are extremely hard, they aren't, but they are longer than many of the verses he has memorized to date, and they do contain names of several people and places that Connor finds difficult to pronounce, and so he has been somewhat intimidated with the memorization. After Patrick and Connor worked this afternoon, however, he had them down.

But Connor didn't say his memory verses for his leader at AWANA tonight. Instead, he shopped and he played until it was time to head home. He walked to the car explaining how there just hadn't been enough time for his verses because of Store Night. When I pointed out that I had seen another little girl saying her verses to one of his leaders that evening, Connor responded. "Mo-om, she's a Campenbell,"* as if that explained it all. But just in case I didn't catch his full meaning, he added, "They study all day and they even read the Bible."

"I see," I said, suppressing a smile and wondering to myself what the time his father had spent with him that very afternoon was if it wasn't studying, and filing away the fact that the Children's Bible we read at bedtime more nights than not is apparently not considered "reading the Bible," at least not by my seven-year-old son who is clearly in awe of his good friends the Campenbells.*

*Names have been changed to protect the highest-achievers.

Kid Scoop - The Reluctant Reader Solution: A TOS Crew Review

2011-02-18T20:58:00.136-05:00

I'm old school; I admit it. I find the best way to encourage a child to read is to surround him (or her) with quality literature on topics of interest to him. My now-9-year-old started out as a reluctant reader. He loved being read to, but he didn't love the effort of reading on his own... until one day a few years back when he discovered the Magic Tree House series. He started reading book one in the series and just took off reading. He kept reading until he caught up with the author some 46 books later. From there, he went on to read the A to Z mystery series, all 26, as well as several other books by that author. Next, it was the Little House on the Prairie books.

Unfortunately, after that we hit another snag. My by-this-time-fluent reader balked at moving on to longer chapter books, books with more words per page, they were overwhelming to him, even when he started one and found himself enjoying the story, as with Mr. Poppers Penguins. Instead of allowing him to give up on reading, however, we found other ways for him to enjoy books: audio books, choral reading, read-alouds. After all, as I mentioned above, I believe the best way to encourage a child to read is to show him first-hand how enjoyable reading can be, and the best way to show him how enjoyable reading can be is to expose him to quality books, books with entertaining, well-written stories - even if he's not yet reading them on his own.

When I was given the opportunity to review Kid Scoop's Reluctant Reader Solution, I thought I might have happened upon another way to expose my son to the joys of reading. The Reluctant Reader Solution promises to help your reluctant reader learn to enjoy reading "through a full year's worth of engaging content and games, both online and off."

A one-year subscription to The Reluctant Reader Solution costs $97, and includes an e-book of 365 worksheets "designed to engage your student's imagination and creativity,"

and 12 issues of the on-line newspaper for kids: Kid Scoop News, which is "chock full of games, puzzles, experiments, pictures, profiles of kids in the news, and more."

The worksheets are divided into mini 5- to 7-page unit-studies which cover a variety of topics, including holidays, animals, science, and much more, and present activities in reading, writing, math, science, and even fun puzzles and games. The on-line newspapers are centered around topics of the day: current events, the natural world, and special holidays.

While my boys enjoyed The Reluctant Reader Solution worksheets and the Kid Scoop News, and we will likely continue to use the units we received as a part of this review for fun or as add-ons to our studies, I cannot honestly see myself paying $97.00 for a subscription. Some will say the price is reasonable considering the number of unit studies and on-line newspapers received over the course of a year, and perhaps if you break the cost down page by page that's true, but I honestly find my boys just as excited about reading their latest issue of Highlights or Ranger Rick, and they don't cost anywhere near $97.00 a year.

Of course, as always, don't take my word for it: different products appeal to different families, and this product received rave reviews from many of my fellow crew mates, so be sure to check out their reviews. If it looks like something your kids would enjoy, go ahead and try it. Kid Scoop offers a one-year money-back, satisfaction guarantee. You might also consider signing up to receive a daily "Making Reading Fun" tip free for 30 days, or checking out the Kid Scoop webpage for parents. There are all sorts of fun games, activities, and recipes to be found there free of charge.

Click here for more The Reluctant Reader Solution reviews from the Crew.

I received a download of 365 worksheets and two editions of the on-line Kid Scoop News for the purpose of reviewing it. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinions. Your experience may vary.

Words by Ginny Yttrup: A Would-Be Book Review

2011-02-18T13:22:00.006-05:00

This post was to be a review of the book Words [B&H Books (February 1, 2011)] by Ginny Yttrup. The only problem is... I have yet to receive a copy of the book. Once I've received and read the book, I'll be sure to let you know what I thought. In the meantime, here's a little bit about the book, as well as an opportunity to read the first chapter. (My book finally arrived this afternoon 2-19-11; I'm reading one of my March books-to-review right now, but as soon as I finish, I'll get started on this one and let you know)

If you would like to read the first chapter of Words, go HERE. Or, if you'd you'd prefer, watch the book trailer video:

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

1 Corinthians for the Homeschool Mom

2011-02-15T23:09:00.009-05:00

We've had an unusually rough day here on the homeschool front: crying, temper tantrums, and slamming doors seemed to be the norm rather than the exception. It was a frustrating day; one of those days that makes me question our decision to take on the task of educating our boys at home. After all, it would be so much easier to put them on that yellow bus each morning, wouldn't it?

It would... maybe... but when the day comes to an end, when the boys are finally tucked into their beds and all is quiet in the house and I am alone with my thoughts, I know in my heart that school is not the answer, not as the result of one bad day, or even two or three. Because, honestly, the good days far outnumber the bad, and more often than not, homeschooling the boys is a blessing: an opportunity to really know them, their thoughts, their hearts, the way they learn, their highs and their lows.

Even so, sometimes I just need a reminder as to what's really important, what really matters at the end of the day - and it's not how many math problems were completed or how many spelling words were written correctly.

Tonight, when I opened my e-mail, I found the following reminder of just that. Sent by a homeschooling mom-friend who recently moved to Hawaii (THANK YOU, Heather), a quick internet search lead me to Heart of the Matter where Misty Krasawski posted 1 Corinthians for Homeschool Moms in March of 2010. The following has been modified slightly from the original.

If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and teach my children Latin conjugations, Chinese and Portuguese, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal, and no matter what I say, they will not hear me.

If I have the gift of prophecy, and know my children’s bents and God’s plan for their lives, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and am the keeper of the teacher’s editions and solutions manuals, and if I have all faith, so as to move mountains, and even keep up with my giant piles of laundry and dishes, but do not have love, I am nothing, even if my friends think I’m Supermom.

And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and my formal dining room gets turned into a schoolroom, and our family vacations look more like educational fieldtrips, and if I surrender my body to be burned, never having time to get my nails done, put makeup on or even take a bath, but do not have love, it profits me nothing, because all my family cares about is the expression on my face.

Love is patient with the child who still can’t get double-digit subtraction with borrowing, and kind to the one who hasn’t turned in his research paper. It is not jealous of moms with more, fewer, neater, more self-directed, better-behaved or smarter children. Love does not brag about homemade bread, book lists, or scholarships and is not arrogant about lifestyle or curriculum choices. It does not act unbecomingly or correct children in front of their friends. It does not seek its own, trying to squeeze in alone time when someone still needs help; it is not provoked when interrupted for the nineteenth time by a child, the phone, the doorbell or the dog; does not take into account a wrong suffered, even when no one compliments the dinner that took hours to make or the house that took so long to clean.

Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness or pointing out everyone else’s flaws, but rejoices with the truth and with every small step her children take in becoming more like Jesus, knowing it’s only by the grace of God when that occurs.

Love bears all my children’s challenges, believes all my children are God’s precious gifts, hopes all my children establish permanent relationships with Christ, and endures all things to demonstrate God’s love!

Even after a day like today, I have nothing but love for my boys, and so, tomorrow will be a new day! We will once again attempt to spell, calculate, and write, but we will also remember to laugh, praise, and love, even when the spelling, calculating, and writing aren't going quite the way they should!

And the greatest of these is LOVE!

Out of the Mouths of Babes: Are We Doing Anything Special Today, Mommy?

2011-02-13T20:35:00.006-05:00

"Mommy," a little voice says, "is today a special day?"

"Yes, Connor. It's Daddy's birthday."

"Are we doing anything special today, Mommy," he asks in an I have something in mind sort of way.

"No, I don't think so, Connor."

With that, a little head leans toward my ear and begins to whisper. "Mommy, I think we should take Daddy to Hooters for his birthday. He really likes their chicken. Is that a good idea, Mommy?"

I sigh, and try unsuccessfully to hide a smile. "No, I don't think so, Connor. Not today," I tell him.

Never easily deterred, Connor decided to share his good idea directly with the birthday Dad.

And so, today after church, we celebrated Patrick's birthday with a family lunch at Hooters, the boys' favorite restaurant... because of their first-rate... eh-hem... french fries... which just happen to be gluten and dairy free.

As the boys (all three of them) were posing with the Hooters girls for the birthday photo, Connor says to me, "Come on, Mommy," and walks over to pull me into the photo. I had to smile! "No, Connor, I'm going to take the photo," I say. After the photo, he proudly announces, "I made my silly face!" Ah, yes, I see that now. Connor, my sweetheart, you are just too much!

Even I, a most reluctant participant in this family outing, have to admit that our family celebration at Hooters did in fact turn out to be a great way to celebrate our birthday Dad. Happy Birthday, Patrick! We love you!

A little side note: Today in Sunday School, the kids' classes talked about kindness and "do unto others." On the way into Hooters, Connor found a penny. "Tip," he said as he slid it into his pocket, and he did indeed leave the penny on the table for our perky waitress. He does have his moments...

Move Over Luke Skywalker, These Boys Have Swords

2011-02-12T21:56:00.009-05:00

After hours of Star Wars viewing, and even more hours of loud and active light saber battling, my boys couldn't contain their excitement upon hearing of a Cub Scout Go-See-It entitled Swordsmen Rendezvous!

Swordplay was a must-know skill for every 18th century gentlemen, and Gadsby's Tavern in Alexandria, Virgina was a center of social and political life around the new Federal City of Washington during the late 18th century, so what better place to learn about 18-century weapons and swordplay than Gadsby's Tavern Museum.

Today, at Gadsby's Tavern, the boys had the privilege of learning the history of sword fighting and actually trying their hand at lunging, striking, and parrying.

The hour-long program at the Museum included a first-hand look at life at Gadsby's Tavern during the time of George Washington, a frequent visitor to the Tavern; a discussion of sword engineering and demonstration of 18th-century weaponry; and the highlight of the boys' day, a hands-on sword fighting lesson (with wooden swords, but still tons of fun for the boys).

Even Dad got into the fun (but his sword was real, "lethal," according to our swordsplay instructor, a survivor of the Battle of Freiburg, who now makes his living traveling the East Coast instructing 18th-century gentlemen, like our dear Patrick, in the art of swordsplay.

What an afternoon! All three of my boys thoroughly enjoyed themselves, and are looking forward to practicing their newly acquired moves: lunge, parry, lunge, strike! Look out Luke Skywalker, these boys have swords!

Curiosity Files: Puffer Fish: A TOS Review

2011-02-11T22:00:00.004-05:00

"Mommy, you know why I want to know?," asks my seven-year-old at the end of his most recent, "Mommy, why?" question.

"No," I say absentmindedly, thinking that his barrage of difficult questions may be to simply wear me out, "why do you want to know?"

"Because I'm curious, Mommy. That's why," he responds.

I smile. Yes, that he is. Stubborn. Active. AND curious!

With that in mind, I couldn't help but be intrigued when asked to review a new product from The Old Schoolhouse called The Curiosity Files. Described only as "the newest unit study series by TOS," titles like MRSA, Zombie Fire Ants, Red Tide, Quicksand, and Puffer Fish, certainly piqued my curiosity.

After much discussion and debate, the boys and I decided that we'd like to review the Puffer Fish study. "I love puffer fish," said my nine-year-old. "Yeah, they're cool," agreed my seven-year-old, as he sucked in his breath and puffed out his cheeks.

We downloaded our study and met the fictional Professor Anna Lyze, "expert in outlandish oddities," our guide for our puffer fish research. From the good professor we learned a host of fascinating facts about puffer fish:

Did you know that "puffer fish" does not name just one fish in the ocean, but rather a group of about 120 different species of fish that can puff?

Or how about this: puffer fish are capable of holding 100 times their normal volume of water... yup, they puff with water, not air. I didn't know that!

Or this one: puffer fish have four large teeth which allow them to crush the shells of shrimp, lobsters, crabs, snails, and barnacles. Hmmm... interesting.

My boys quickly decided that puffer fish were even more amazing than they had initially believed, and begged to hear more about this fascinating group of fish! As we completed more and more of this study, I became more and more convinced on the quality of this unit study, particularly when used with young, curious boys, who love learning about the weird, gross, or poisonous (which puffer fish are, by the way).

Our Puffer Fish unit study included basic facts and photos of the puffer fish, as well as related activities in math, writing and copywork, spelling, science (including science fair ideas), art, music, history, Biblical significance, and more! The activities were actually fun and relevant - no contrived or forced related activities here - and adaptations for working with younger and older children, as well as children with a variety of disabilities were included.

We've had sporadic success with unit studies we've purchased in the past. Some have been great, others have seemed haphazard and incomplete, but this latest series by The Old Schoolhouse is easily the best unit study we've come across in a long time! The boys can't wait to try another one. They're undecided as to whether their next curiosity will involve Blue Diamonds or the Cicada-Killing Wasp, or perhaps the ever-fascinating Dung Beetle. They will likely be most enthusiastic when they hear that I'm thinking we'll just do all nine!

Want to see more? Click here to view a sample. Curiosity Files Unit Studies are available from The Schoolhouse Store for $6.95 each, or save 35% by purchasing all nine: $49 on CD or $46 as downloadable e-books.

I received one downloadable Curiosity Files unit study for the purpose of reviewing it. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinions. Your experience may vary.

Click here for more Curiosity Files reviews from the Crew.

Promises to Keep by Ann Tatlock: A Book that Promises to Keep You Reading

2011-02-09T21:50:00.003-05:00

Promises to Keep by Ann Tatlock [Bethany House (February 1, 2011)] is the story of family, new beginnings, and love that supersedes the ties of blood. It is the story of eleven-year-old Rosalind's search to find a new life while struggling to let go of the old, and the story of the elderly Tillie who refuses to be led down a path different from the one she knows in her heart has been set before her.

I fell in love with Promises to Keep on the first page. The well-developed characters leaped out of the book and into my heart at the start, keeping me turning page after page from beginning to end, and feeling as if I'd be leaving behind a host of new friends when I closed the cover for the last time.

Tillie's girth, her sparkling blue eyes, and her loving patience created the prefect grandmotherly-figure; one I could just imagine running to and whose arms I could picture falling into when times were tough and nothing but a grandmother's love would heal the hurt. Young Roz's adolescent spunk, her cautiousness, and her naive trust made for an interesting, yet realistic, picture of a girl caught between the need for the safety of childhood and the longing for a more independent role in her own life. Mrs. Anthony, Mr. Anthony, Grandfather, Roz's dear friend Mara - all came to life in the pages of this story, some in a way I could love, others in a way I grew to despise.

As I read Promises to Keep, I laughed, I cried, I cheered, and I leered. Ann Tatlock is indeed a masterful story teller, and Promises to Keep is certainly a book worth reading!

If you would like to read the first chapter of Promises to Keep, and I strongly recommend that you do, go HERE.

I received this book free for the purpose of reviewing it. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinions. Your experience may vary.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Eleven-year-old Roz (Rosalind) Anthony and her family have just moved to Mills River, Illinois, to escape an abusive situation. Only days after settling into their new home, they are surprised to find the previous owner, Tillie Monroe, on their front porch reading the newspaper.

Though her sons have sold the house and sent her to a facility for the aged, she is determined to die in the place she lived her life, and somehow manages to find her way "home" day after day. Feeling sympathy for the elderly woman, Roz's mother allows Tillie to move back in.

Mara Nightingale becomes Roz's first friend in Mills River. In spite of their many differences, the girls discover they have something in common that binds them together--both are hiding secrets. So they make a promise--"cross my heart and hope to die"--never to tell anyone else. When danger stalks the Anthonys, Tillie exhibits unimaginable courage and selfless love in her determination to protect the family she has adopted as her own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ann Tatlock is the author of the Christy Award-winning novel All the Way Home. She has also won the Midwest Independent Publishers Association "Book of the Year" in fiction for both All the Way Home and I'll Watch the Moon. Her novel Things We Once Held Dear received a starred review from Library Journal and Publishers Weekly calls her "one of Christian fiction's better wordsmiths, and her lovely prose reminds readers why it is a joy to savor her stories." Ann lives with her husband and daughter in Asheville, North Carolina.

I HEART You: A Simple Valentine's Day Craft

2011-02-08T08:00:00.008-05:00

Looking for a simple craft this Valentine's Day? One that will be as fun for your oldest children as it is for your youngest? One that won't require days of planning or a fortune in supplies, and won't leave you with hours of clean-up? Well, you're in luck. I have an idea to share, and it's easy. It really is!

And I'm sharing it over at The Homeschool Classroom today. So gather your construction paper in pretty Valentine's day colors, some scissor and glue, and some stickers, and head on over to see just what we're going to create!

Dig It! Games Roman Town: A TOS Crew Review

2011-02-04T00:12:00.011-05:00

Roman Town by Dig It! Games is an computer game that allows children and adults to oversee an archaeological dig, manage a team of diggers, and experience the thrill of uncovering ancient objects, all while learning about ancient Roman art, architecture, language, history, and culture.

This interactive, educational game targets 5th to 8th graders, but will likely be enjoyed by those both younger and older. The game does require players to be able to read fluently, so younger children, although able to play and learn from the game, will need assistance with the required reading.

Roman Town players assign workers to use hoes, pics, and trowels to dig the excavation site.

When artifacts are uncovered, they are identified and their uses explained by animated children dressed in authentic ancient Roman costume.

After a number of items have been uncovered and artifacts defined and described, players engage in an assortment of entertaining and educational games that serve to reinforce what they have learned.

At the conclusion of a level, players visit the Roman Town Lab to further explore their findings, and learn even more about Roman history and Roman culture.

Each level concludes with a report. Players fill in the blanks with Roman vocabulary to demonstrate mastery of the information in that level. There are six levels of fun and learning in Roman Town. The game allows individual accounts to be set up for each player in the family, a definite plus!

My boys both thoroughly enjoyed their Roman Town experience. Ryan (age 9) learned a great deal about ancient Rome, its people and its culture, by playing the game and reading the information provided after each artifact was uncovered. He quickly progressed through the six levels of the game, and then started again to explore and learn even more. Connor (age 7) found the reading required by this program extremely challenging, but still enjoyed digging for artifacts and playing the games that required less reading, such as the puzzle completion games. He did not want me or his brother to sit and read the information presented to him, and so his overall experience was not nearly as rich as his brother's.

Even so, I found Dig It! Games' Roman Town to be an incredible mix of fun and learning! I would like to see a voice module added to the game in future editions, but otherwise, it is a great program as is. A voice module (to read the information presented) would have made Connor's experience with the game more educational and less game-playing, and would have likely enhanced Ryan's experience as even he had difficulty with pronunciations for some of the Roman vocabulary terms, but most fifth through eighth graders, the program's intended target group, would have no problem reading the information presented. It's just this game is so much fun that I'd love to see it more accessible for younger children!

Dig It! Games' Roman Town sells for $39.95. Now through February 21, 2011, however, you may purchase this game for only $19.96 by using the coupon code TOS2011. What a savings! Roman Town is available on CD-ROM for PC only. A MAC version is, hopefully, coming soon.

Click here for more Dig It! Games Roman Town reviews from the Crew.

I received Dig It! Games' Roman Town free for the purpose of reviewing it. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinions. Your experience may vary.

One Last Run

2011-02-02T21:43:00.002-05:00

Today's weather forecast listed temperatures for our area in the upper 40s. Some forecasts even suggested the possibility of highs in the low 50s. Hearing this on the radio, Ryan declared today a sleighing day. After all, if the temperatures truly hit these highs, there wasn't going to be any snow left of the ground by sunset. And so, after the boys diligently worked through their math, reading, and handwriting, we set off for the neighborhood sledding slope.

Covered with several inches of snow just a few days ago, today the sledding slope, which is actually a side of the neighborhood drainage area, was slushy and wet. In fact, there were four streams, fed by melting snow, running into the area.

With strict instructions to "stop before you get to the water," the boys slipped, slid, and slushed their way up and down the slope.

They were soaked by the end of their sledding adventure - their snow pants, boots, and water resistant gloves no match for the wet, slushy snow - but with temperatures in the high 40s, no one complained of being cold. Actually, on the walk home, Connor quickly removed his hat and gloves, unzipped his jacket, and declared the day, "H-O-T." This is the child who is planning to move to Alaska, so I guess it's good that he finds 40-something hot!

Ready, Aim, Fire Your Snowball!

2011-02-01T21:17:00.014-05:00

The boys were outside playing in the snow.

Thump. Thump.

I walk to the front door, just in time to see a snowball flying toward me. Thump. It hits the glass at eye-level.

On the other side of the door, the boys stood over a pile of snowballs they had made with their new snowball maker. Their laughter could be heard through the glass.

I was impressed with how well the snowballs flew, but as I really didn't want them flying at my front door, I came up with an alternative. One that was just crazy enough to be of interest to the boys.

The side of our house, in case you're wondering...

Ready, Aim, Fire Your Snowballs… just not at the windows (or glass door)!

A Peek Inside Our Homeschool on Snow Days

2011-02-01T10:00:00.005-05:00

To School or Not to School on Snow Days... that is the question!

With snow and ice blanketing a good portion of the North, the homeschooling community is a-buzz with questions about schooling on snow days. Does your homeschool close when the public schools close? Do you school business-as-usual on snow days? Do you school for a part of the day and play for a part? Not surprisingly, the answers to these questions are as varied as the homeschools they represent.

I've posted some of the boys' feelings regarding schooling on snow days and our parental response in the past, and largely our stance on homeschool snow days remains the same today. Public schools are closed for inclement weather because it would be unsafe for the children to travel to school. Our homeschool has yet to experience inclement weather that would impede our boys from walking down the stairs to our classroom, and so, we do school on snow days.

Now, before you decide we must be the meanest, cruelest parents in the world, we do make sure that the boys have plenty of time to play in the snow. They sleigh ride down the neighborhood slope, engage in snowball fights, and build snow forts, but they also do mathematics, reading, and a bit of grammar here and there throughout the day.

On snow days, our schedule is certainly a bit more flexible than a normal homeschool day, but it is not a day off. We save the days off for field trips, visits to Grandma, and Grandpa's and special events that come up during the school day throughout the year. After all, that sort of flexibility is one of the things we love most about homeschooling, and it would be a shame to have to forgo one of these special opportunities because we had to make up a snow day!

What does your homeschool do on public school snow days?

Times Alive: Multiplication for the Right-Brained Learner: A TOS Crew Review

2011-01-31T00:01:00.050-05:00

Let's face it, memorizing multiplication facts IS NOT FUN! Memorizing multiplication facts requires hours of drill and practice; hours of the same thing over... and over... and over again. But, of course, memorization of multiplication facts IS necessary.

For three years now, our nine-year-old has managed to finagle his way through increasingly difficult mathematics concepts without having committed his multiplication facts to memory. It isn't that he hasn't tried to memorize his times tables. He has. We've used flash cards, multiplication games, and catchy jingles, but to date nothing has clicked. Ryan has continued to struggle, and he was finding it more and more difficult to complete his mathematics work without having his multiplication facts memorized.

Enter Times Alive published by City Creek Press. Times Alive is a computer program that makes learning multiplication facts fun. Each fact has a story that incorporates the multiplicand and the multiplier (the numbers multiplied) and the product (answer). Students are able to read along as the story is told. After the story, students are introduced to a catchy song, complete with animation, to help them remember the multiplication fact.

Ryan has thoroughly enjoyed his Times Alive experience. He remembers the stories, the pictures, and the songs. At times now when working on his multiplication or long division work, I hear him repeating the Times Alive stories to help him out. Times Alive has made an amazing difference in his mastery of his multiplication facts!

Connor, my 7-year-old, however, is another story. Now, to be fair, he also thoroughly enjoys Times Alive,and frequently asks to use the program. He watches the videos, sings the songs, and then when it comes time for the factor review, he promptly forgets the story, the song, and the fact. It's actually quite comical to hear him singing along (loudly) with the 8 x 8 song one minute and then talking to himself the next, "8 x 8. That's the snowmen. Let's see. 8 x 8 is 62. No. 73. No. 67. No... Mom, what is 8 x 8?" To which Ryan responds, "Connor. It's the snowmen. It's 64."

Now, let me tell you one difference between my two boys, (there are oh, so many), and why I believe this program works so well for one, but not as well for the other.

Ryan is a visual learner. This does not me he learns best from information he sees (necessarily), but that he learns best when he can create a visual image of the information in his mind. He often tells me, "I take pictures of what I see and I can see them in my head." Times Alive enables him to do this. The funny stories, charming animation, and catchy jingles stick with him. He is able to create the image of two snowmen (8's) building a fire with sticks (6) that were for sale (4). That image sticks with him, and so the problem sticks with him (8 x 8 = 64).

Connor is an auditory learner. He learns best when he can "hear" the information in his mind. Times Alive does have catchy jingles, but where as, I initially thought this would be wonderful for him, the animation and stories just added too many distractions for him. His focus was divided between the jingles, the story, and the animation, and so far, none of it seems to stick. He does, however, still sit and review the facts, so perhaps one of these days, it will actually sink in.

Times Alive is available as a download for PC or MAC for $44.95 or on CD-ROM for PC or MAC for $48.95. If you are teaching a right-brained learner, you HAVE to check it out! If not, well, you should check it anyway. It really is a FUN program! And when we're talking about memorizing multiplication facts, that says a TON, doesn't it?!

Click here for more Times Alive reviews from the Crew.

I received the Times Alive download free for the purpose of reviewing it. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinions. Your experience may vary.

Out of the Mouths of Babes: Speaking a Foreign Language

2011-01-30T00:26:00.022-05:00

Photo by ronny827

The boys have been watching season one of the old Flipper TV show on Netflix. Both boys are enjoying the show, but our animal lover, Connor, has been transfixed. Tonight, he informed us that he can understand Flipper's "talking."

"Oh, really," Patrick said with a chuckle, "What's he saying right now?"

"I only understand some of it," Connor countered... and then after a pause added, "but I think he's saying, 'Hello, hello.'"

Considering Flipper was greeting Sandy and Bud, I think he might have been right. This kid may just have a future in interpreting....

You Know It's Pinewood Derby Time When...

2011-01-29T23:00:00.024-05:00

Your kitchen is covered in saw dust. Your husband is complaining that his hand is tingling from holding the Dremel Tool for hours on end. Your kids are covered in paint. And you are purchasing food products... not to eat, but to glue onto a block of wood.

Yes, it is Pinewood Derby time!

Our Pack held it's annual Pinewood Derby Race this weekend. Although Ryan and Connor's cars were NOT FAST, they did LOOK AMAZING! And as a result, they brought home 2nd for Webelos design and 2nd for design for the Pack (Ryan) and 1st for Wolves design and 3rd for design for the Pack (Connor). They'll both be heading to Districts in March, after which we will share their AWESOME, somewhat edible, designs!

Way to go, boys!

Rumble, Zap, Pow: Bible Stories for Young Boys

2011-01-29T23:00:00.002-05:00

Rumble, Zap, Pow: Mighty Stories of God presents Bible stories in comic-book form. Comprised of few words and tons of action, the stories are likely to appeal to active, inquisitive young ones, especially boys. Power Words, short Bible verses to remember, and activities that bring the reading to life are just right for boys (and girls) between the ages of 2 and 5. A bit simplistic for my boys now (at ages 7 & 9), I wish I had had this book when they were younger! We would have surely read through it cover to cover!

I received this book from Tyndale publishers for the purpose of reviewing it. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinions. Your experience may vary.

Mama's Gone Mad and Taken Our Toys With Her!

2011-01-28T00:51:00.000-05:00

For several weeks now, I have watched my usually creative, imaginative young boys wander aimlessly around the house. I have listened to them whine and complain they have nothing to do, and beg multiple times in a day to play Wii or Gameboy or to watch a movie. When given suggestions of unplugged activities they usually enjoy: building a block fort, creating a LEGO masterpiece, or constructing a train layout, for example, I have seen their little eyes roll and heard audible sighs escaping from their lips... and this morning I had had enough!

In a house full of toys and games and books, my boys were seemingly lost. If not plugged into something designed to entertain them, they had no idea what to do. Now, I am not opposed to the occasional video game, on-line website, or television show, but when my active little boys lose interest in everything not powered by a plug, I draw the line. When they run past piles of matchbox cars, game pieces, and LEGOS to be the first to play a computer game, something has to be done.

So, today, I put on my thinking cap, brain-strormed ideas, and decided on this one: this afternoon, I removed all of the toys from the boys' rooms save their Webkinz stuffed-animals and one other toy group of their choice: matchbox cars for Connor and LEGOS for Ryan. Complaints of "there's nothing to do" may now be more warranted, but somehow, I believe that fewer choices will result in more quality play time.

To my wide-eyed young ones, I explained that if in one week's time, they have demonstrated they are enjoying their chosen toys and taking care of them, meaning playing with them appropriately and cleaning them up at the end of the day, I will return another group of toys from those I have removed from their rooms. If not, they will lose the toy group they currently have for another week.

After a few weeks, I will take the toys remaining in my packed boxes and give them to charity... or maybe I'll open a toy store. Yes, there are THAT many toys in the boxes.

Tonight, my little guys will tell you that mama has indeed gone mad... but I'm hoping that the old adage of less is more will hold true in this instance. I'll be sure to keep you posted on the success... or lack thereof... of my little experiment.

TenMarks: A TOS Crew Review

2011-01-28T00:00:00.001-05:00

TenMarks is an on-line mathematics curriculum for students in grades 3 through high school, designed around three basic principles:

Personalized Learning Makes All the Difference.
On-Demand Instruction Provides Help When You Need it.
Practice Builds Confidence and Improves Achievement.

Each child is provided with an individualized mathematics program based on their grade, home state, and performance. An on-line pre-assessment is available to assist with placement and program development. TenMarks can be used as a stand-alone homeschool curriculum or as a supplement to another curriculum.

Each TenMarks program is made up of a series of on-line 10-item worksheets. Printed hints (a maximum of three per problem) and video tutorials are available to students as they work through their assignments. Parents are able to monitor a student's progress on-line and through weekly e-mails sent by TenMarks, can customize the program to cover certain topics, and can pause a program for a vacation or illness. In addition to their assigned worksheets, a student may practice concepts at higher- and lower-levels at any time. Tests at the end of each concept measure mastery. Reward games are unlocked after completing a set number of worksheets, and certificates of mastery are presented at the completion of each concept. Parents may set up additional awards for progress as well.

Both Ryan and Connor participated in the TenMarks review. Ryan tried out the grade 4 program. I signed Connor up for grade 3, the lowest level available through TenMarks. Although Connor is technically a first grader, he is half-way through a second grade math curriculum from a company known for being advanced in its scope and sequence. He did fine with the topics presented, including a couple of concepts which were new to him.

Both boys LOVE TenMarks. Each worksheet is made up of 10 problems. Four multiple-choice answers are provided for each problem. Three hints and a video tutorial are available for each problem should the student require instruction to complete the problem. If TenMarks is being used as a curriculum in and of itself, the student will likely need to watch videos to teach each new concept. If TenMarks is being used as a supplement to a mathematics curriculum, videos may be used to provide additional instruction, clarification, or review as needed.

The videos consist of a marker writing on a white board while an instructor (not pictured in the video) speaks. Overall, the video tutorials are well done. The boys found them easy to follow, and when presented with new concepts, did indeed understand and correctly apply what was taught in the videos to the problems that followed. The only draw-back I found in the videos was that one particular tutor says, "Okay" frequently enough in her explanations to be distracting. - to me at least. The boys didn't seem to notice, but I sure did!

We've been using TenMarks for about two months now, and it has served to reinforce concepts the boys are learning in our standard mathematics curriculum. It was innocuous enough that no one argues or complained when I said, "It's time for TenMarks." They truly LOVE the reward games, and often elected to "fast track," or complete more than four worksheets in a week just to unlock a new game. (Please don't tell them the reward games use math, too!)

Overall, I am finding TenMarks to be a well-organized on-line mathematics program. It provides just the right mix of learning, fun, and reward to keep my boys interested and motivated to learn. At a cost of $10 a month per student, with discounts for six and twelve month memberships, it costs far less than you'd pay for a tutor for a child who is struggling or who needs some additional mathematics practice.

Although I think very highly of TenMarks overall, there were a couple of things I believe could be improved to make the program even stronger.

First, I would LOVE to see a voice module added to the program. Ryan is reading at a level that allowed him to complete the program independently. Connor is not able to read the multitude of word problems on his own. This necessitates me sitting and reading every problem to him, waiting while he watches videos and solves problems. In my mind, this negates one of the primary benefits of an online program: a child's ability to complete the program without a parent's continuous presence.

Second, after just a couple of sessions, Ryan figured out that if he answered a worksheet problem incorrectly, he would be given a chance to correct his response without negatively affecting his worksheet score. He took full advantage of this and often narrowed down his choices and selected an answer without actually working a problem. After all, if it was wrong, he could always change his answer. Because the progress reports doesn't note when he corrected responses, only how many hints he used, I wasn't immediately aware he was doing this, and therefore, do not feel I had an accurate picture of his level of mastery on these topics. I would like to see a notification of responses corrected on his "report card."

Finally, the boys completed several sections and received certificates of mastery for the covered concepts before I realized there is a 20-item, timed test to take for each concept. By the time this came to my attention, the boys had multiple tests to take. I would like to see a notification e-mailed to the parent when a test is ready, and to have the tests added into the worksheet line-up provided to the student so that tests are completed before mastery of a concept is declared. For families not interested in using the tests, perhaps a "no test" option could be selected on the parent page for that student.

For more information on TenMarks, including a free trial, visit their website.

Click here for more TenMarks reviews from the Crew.

I received a six-month subscription to TenMarks for each of the boys free for the purpose of reviewing it. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinions. Your experience may vary.

Out of the Mouths of Babes: In All Honesty

2011-01-26T21:24:00.004-05:00

After my little exchange with Connor this morning, he fell back to sleep for two hours. When he finally awoke, we ate breakfast, and then headed downstairs to start our schoolwork. Connor whined, complained, and cried his way through math, usually a favorite subject.

"Are you feeling alright?," I asked with concern.

"No," he said in a quiet voice.

"You're not?"

"No," he whined, "I'm feeling lazy."

Well, at least he's honest. We struggled through math, spelling, and an on-line reading program we're in the process of reviewing (one Connor usually asks to do multiple times in a day), and then declared school closed for the remainder of the day. Sometimes an early release for snow, ice, or feelings of laziness is in order!

Teaching Children to Love Thy Neighbor

2011-01-26T09:40:00.002-05:00

Train up a child in the way he should go:

and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

As homeschooling parents, we work endlessly to ensure our children master the basics of reading, mathematics, and grammar. We allow caterpillars to live in jars on our counter tops and build pyramids out of sugar cubes. We pull out tubs of paint and piles of clay and encourage our young ones to create.

But, are we as diligent at teaching them from an early age how to care for those less fortunate than themselves?

I'm over at The Homeschool Classroom today. Join me there for my post: Teaching Children to Love Thy Neighbor. Finding opportunities for children to give of themselves can be difficult, but with a bit of time and research, I've found there are plenty of ways for even very young children to give and to love.

Out of the Mouths of Babes: Are You Thinking What I'm Thinking?

2011-01-26T09:30:00.003-05:00

We woke this morning to a light dusting of snow on the ground and rain pattering on the roof. The radio reported a mixture of snow, ice, and rain for the remainder of the day and a host of school closings.

Upon hearing this, Connor, our 7-year-old, looks at me and sleepily asks, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"I don't know," I reply, "What are you thinking?"

"That we did school yesterday, so we have a day off today."

"Um, no, Connor, that is definitely not what I am thinking, but how about a little extra time to sleep this morning."

"Ok," he agrees, "I'll get up at 7:30." The clock read 7:23am. He was sound asleep again before 7:30am, and is still asleep at 9:30am.

Looks like our homeschool will be operating on at least a two-hour delay this dreary winter's day.

This post is linked to Tiny Talk Tuesday at Not Before 7.

Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary for Kids: A TOS Crew Review

2011-01-26T08:21:00.000-05:00

I've mentioned Ryan's love of maps before. Have I also mentioned that he "reads" Almanacs cover to cover, and that he won't throw out the older editions when he receives a new one because he likes to "compare" facts "because things change, Mom!" Yes, it's true; they do, and he does. Clearly, Ryan has a head for facts, and he's constantly on the look-out for new facts to put into his head!

When the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary for Kids arrived for our family to review, I knew without a doubt that Ryan was going to be in his glory, and he was. He sat right down and began reading the over-sized, hard-covered, colorful book. When I called him for dinner, he responded, "But Mom, I'm only to F." He couldn't wait to return to his reading after he ate, and every spare moment since then.

The Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary for Kids is written for children ages five to ten, although older children will likely find the Bible Dictionary interesting as well. The book clarifies more than 750 Bible terms, 500 of which are paired with maps, photos, or illustrations. It defines terms such as Apostle and judgment, and provides information on Bible personalities, photos of key locations in the Bible, colorful maps of Biblical locations, and charts linking like information together. Each entry is written in easy-to-read and easy-to-understand language, but don't let that fool you; you don't have to be a child to learn something from this book which is sure to see continued use in our home during family devotions, history lessons, and likely free-time reading as well.

The Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary is available from LifeWay Christian Stores nationwide or on their website for $14.99. For a peek inside the book, you'll find 22 pages here.

Click here for more Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary for Kids reviews from the Crew.

I received the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary for Kids free for the purpose of reviewing it. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinions. Your experience may vary.

Christmas in January?

2011-01-25T17:48:00.006-05:00

We celebrated Christmas at our house today. Yes, on January 25. One month after our traditional Christmas celebration, a date that is total coincidence and in no way planned.

You see, a couple of weeks before Christmas, the boys shopped the AWANA store night for gifts for one another. The good folks at our AWANA store recognize that the children have big hearts and little pocket books, and so at the December store night, they enable the children to purchase gifts for others with their AWANA shares at half-price. (Prizes for themselves are still full-price). Both Ryan and Connor took advantage of this "sale" and spent their hard-earned shares on gifts for one another. Unfortunately, when we headed to Vermont for Christmas, we forgot to take along their special gifts, and when we got home, well, the daily grind just seemed to keep getting in the way... until today.

This morning the boys declared it to be "present day," and so during their morning snack break, they wrapped and exchanged their gifts. Ryan presented Connor with a kitten jigsaw puzzle, a snowman that grows when soaked in water, and a dolphin color by number poster. Connor gave Ryan two small LEGO kits, kits he would have loved to have kept for himself, but willingly gave away because he knew "Ryan will LOVE them!" The gifts weren't big or expensive, but they were certainly from the heart.

I worried for a moment that the boys might be disappointed with what the other had chosen and that feelings might be hurt, but I worried in vain. (How often is that the case!) Connor, who loves cats, dolphins, and anything related to water, was so thrilled with his gifts that he tackled Ryan in thanks, saying, "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." and "I LOVE my gifts!"

Ryan was a bit more reserved in his thanks, but his smile and request to build the sets immediately spoke volumes.

As I watched Connor coloring his dolphin color-by-number and Ryan building his LEGOS, I couldn't help but smile. Our Christmas in January was certainly a sweet reassurance that while Ryan and Connor are indeed so very different and frequently at odds, every now and then they compliment one another perfectly and exhibit all that is right between brothers, and that is something for which I am truly grateful!

For more reasons to be Grateful, visit Laura at Heavenly Homemakers!

Homeschooling a Square Peg

2011-01-24T05:00:00.007-05:00

photo by HappyHeartKE

Ever tried to hammer a square peg into a round hole? It can be done. Not easily, and certainly not without damaging the peg, and likely the hole as well, but it is possible.

Ever heard of a child referred to as a square peg? I have. In fact, I’m homeschooling one. Now, my seven-year-old is not square, and he is not made of wood, so what exactly is meant when we refer to a child as a square peg? Most often, we’re referring to a child who does not fit the standard expectations for a given situation, usually in regards to school. A square peg is a child who does not learn in a way that makes them easy to teach using the traditional methods.

Children learn differently, and yet so often we expect them to all learn and perform in the same manner. We teach, talking at them while they sit, following along in a book or frantically taking notes. When a student has difficulty sitting still, listening, and taking notes, we say he has a learning disability, or he’s ADHD, or maybe he’s just plain disruptive.

A few years back, I enrolled Connor in a preschool class at our local nature center. Each week, the naturalist set out carpet squares for the children to sit on during story and discussion time. Some of the children sat “criss-cross-applesauce, spoons in the bowl,” never moving from their carpet squares. Others, like Connor, were a whirlwind of motion the entire time. No matter how often I reminded him to sit, or how close I sat to him, Connor just couldn’t sit quietly on that carpet square to listen. I know this frustrated the naturalist and more than once I considered removing Connor from the class “until he was ready to sit,” but he enjoyed the class, and he was learning from the class, and so we persisted.

One week, Connor was “bronco-bucking” around his carpet square during the discussion time. You know, hands on the carpet square, feet in the air. The naturalist was asking the children questions about things they had learned in earlier weeks, and Connor was answering EVERY SINGLE QUESTION. The naturalist asked the questions, and Connor fired off the answers, one after another, until she paused, smiled, and said, “I fed him the answers before class. He’s being paid for this performance.”

It was an eye-opening moment for the naturalist… and for me. She had realized that Connor wasn’t just plain disruptive, that he was interested in the class, and that he was learning. I realized that Connor needs to move to learn. When he is sitting quietly in a chair, all of his energy is focused on sitting in that chair, there is nothing left for listening or learning. When Connor is moving, his brain is firing: he’s attending, he’s processing, and he’s learning.

Since that time, I’ve tried to keep this in mind when working with Connor. We sing, and dance, and make up hand movements to go with our history and science facts. We use a hands-on spelling curriculum. We play academic video games and board games. We crunch on tortilla chips, and work with music on in the background. We move from place to place as we learn throughout the day, and we take frequent movement breaks.

Now, I will admit, educating a square peg is not easy, even in a homeschool. It takes energy, and thought, and a great deal of patience. I am a traditional learner. I don’t need to move around to learn; in fact, I find it distracting, but as I said earlier, each of us learns differently, and Connor needs to move to learn. We still work on sitting for short periods of time – because there are times when he will need to know how to sit – but Connor, as each of us, does his best work when allowed to do what works best for him, even when it seems a bit odd to me.

Math ~~seatwork~~ tablework?

Every answer was correct,

but not a one was completed in the traditional manner:

sitting in his chair, feet on the floor.

Gracias Speekee! Habolo Espanol! A TOS Crew Review

2011-01-21T23:23:00.005-05:00

"Hola. Soy Speekee. Y tu?"

"Hola. Soy Jim."

"Ariba, Ariba! Vamos a bailar!"

And so begins another episode of Speekee TV, an on-line puppet-led, fun-filled musical introduction to the Spanish language for children ages 2-10. Through 10 episodes, each about 20-minutes in length, Speekee and her friends, all native Spanish-speaking children, introduce your child to the sounds of the Spanish language and a host of Spanish vocabulary.

Horns blaring. Singing. "Vamos a bailar! Vamos a bailar!"

Do you hear it? The song is playing in my head as I type. Trust me. It's a catchy tune. You can't help singing along... and that, my friends, is the whole point!

Speekee works by immersing a child in the Spanish language. This means only Spanish is spoken during the program. Catchy melodies and rhythms will have your child... and you... singing along and repeating after Speekee - in Spanish - in no time.

If you are not familiar with Spanish and the idea of listening to twenty-minutes of unfamiliar vocabulary is disconcerting to you, there is an option to have subtitles in English appear as you watch, but while I found this to be helpful, it was distracting to the boys. So, after watching our first video with subtitles, I switched to playing all videos without subtitles for them, and then reviewing the videos on my own with subtitles; not every time, but as time allowed. This helped me (a visual learner) to grasp spellings and to some extent pronunciations, of the Spanish words.

There is no one-way to "do Speekee." The 10 videos are designed to be watched again and again. Whether you and your children watch all 10 videos through once and then repeat, or watch one video several times in a row, doesn't matter. We decided to watch each video once through to start. After that, I let the boys choose which video they'd like to watch next. They seem to have several favorites, but all of the videos are getting adequate play time.

In addition to the 10 videos, each Speekee episode has activity ideas for parents as well as downloadable .pdf worksheets to reinforce the vocabulary taught in each video. The parent-led ideas included crafts and games that add to the Speekee fun. The worksheets are helpful in reinforcing vocabulary presented in the episode.

Although I wasn't sure how my boys, ages 7 & 9, would feel about a musical, puppet-led program similar to Sesame Street, they have in fact enjoyed watching Speekee. Prompts to "watch Speekee" are met with "Yeah, let's watch Speekee!," not argument.

After our first two sessions with Speekee, I asked Connor, my 7-year-old, what he thought. He responded, "I like Speekee, but not the learning." What?! Fortunately, he elaborated, "I LIKE Speekee, but I DON'T LIKE talking after Speekee talks." Well, that I could understand. After all, if you've ever learned a foreign language you've probably experienced that same hesitation to voice out loud what you are learning until you are relatively confident in your abilities. I myself experienced this hesitation when learning Spanish, German, French... and more recently, Latin.

Just to be sure, though, I questioned Speekee-developer, Jim Porter, about his thoughts on the boys' hesitation to repeat after Speekee. He responded, "My experience of observing children learn Spanish is that the new language is often 'going in' even though we as adults do not perceive it thus. Very young children, immersed in Spanish language and culture, have a habit of keeping very quiet, not speaking a word of Spanish, then suddenly saying perfectly pronounced full sentences out of the blue!"

And so, I didn't worry... much. I kept playing Speekee for the boys, and I continued modeling repeating after Speekee, thinking they would come around to repeating one of these days. But they didn't... not until yesterday afternoon when I had to leave them alone at the computer for a moment to take a phone call. As I listened from another room, I HEARD THE BOYS REPEATING SPANISH WORDS AND PHRASES - both of them! Jim was right, it was going in... and in time, when they feel comfortable with the "learning;" it will come out. In the meantime, we're just having fun experiencing the language and letting it all go in! We will be continuing our Speekee subscription in the Spring when our co-op classes end.

The first two weeks of Speekee TV are free. After that, the program costs only $7.50 a month. You can learn more about Speekee TV, take advantage of the free trial, and sign up for Speekee TV here.

Click here for more Speekee TV reviews from the Crew.

I received the on-line Speekee program free for two months for the purpose of reviewing it. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinions. Your experience may vary.