Read Aloud Challenge- February 26, 2013

This week we have started a new term, so that means new books!

The past two terms we have been reading Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and now we are reading 101 Great American Poems edited by The American Poetry & Literacy Project.  I just hope that these poems are more appropriate for young children.  If they aren’t we are going to use our own books of poetry. 

We are still reading Carry on Mr. Bowditch while we are working on our handwriting. I am so please with the quality and quantity of handwriting that has been done.

Our new book for science is Christian Liberty Nature Reader Book 3 and this week we are studying ants.  It’s just too bad that this is not the time of year to observe ants.  We are going to have to turn to videos for that.

Our American history book is Children of the Covered Wagon by Mary Jane Carr.  We have spent a lot of time studying the Oregon Trail in Eastern Wyoming, so this book is especially interesting to us.  Right now we have made it as far as the Platte River.  The detail in this book is great.  A lot of journals must have been read by the author before she wrote this book.

This was our week of reading. What did you read this week to your children?

You can go to Footprints in the Butter for more Read Aloud Challenge posts.

Song School Spanish (Schoolhouse Review Crew)

Product: Song School Spanish: Book and CD or Teacher's Edition

Vendor Contact Information: Classical Academic Press

Age Appeal: Kindergarten – Third Grade

Format: Physical workbook (one time use) with CD

Price: Student book (includes CD)- $24.95 (ISBN: 9781600510786) and Teacher’s Edition – $24.95 (ISBN: 9781600510793) 

Cómo estás?  Estoy feliz!  Are your young children interested in learning a foreign language that will help them learn and communicate it their entire lives.

Song School Spanish has:

• 25 weekly lessons and 6 review chapters.
• A music CD, sung by native Spanish speakers, with over 40 songs and chants.
• An introduction to Spanish grammar.
• Over 100 vocabulary words for conversation, family, body parts, seasons, and more.

Our Experience:
I was excited to review Song School Spanish, because I want my children to learn a language that will serve them all their lives.  This book contained the basics they will need to know to learn more.

We chose to do the lessons:

• Day 1- Learn the vocab and songs
• Day 2- Complete the workbook pages
• Day 3- Review the songs of the current and past lessons

This has worked very well for us.  The children are having fun with others by using the vocabulary they have learned.

What I Liked:

• The catchy songs.  They helped us to learn the vocabulary. 
• B and C having fun cutting out the objects and using them to put on plays.
• Listening to C sing the songs along with the CD for over an hour in her room.
• Review sections every couple of chapters.  The children like the stories and it was great to review the vocabulary.

What I Disliked:

• The price of the workbook.  It is expensive for those who need to buy many copies.  We also don’t need lots of copies of the music CD which comes with each workbook.

What B (boy, age nine, officially in third grade) Liked and Disliked:

Song School Spanish is such a good product for learning Spanish.  The songs are super fun.  You don’t have to work in a textbook all day.  You get to sing songs and work in a workbook.  It is a  quick, fun, and easy way to learn Spanish.  Even if you don’t know Spanish at first you’ll know some by the end of the first chapter. 

I think this product is very good for kids my age.

P.S. Adiós 

What C (girl, age seven, officially in first grade) Liked and Disliked:

• The songs were fun to learn.  I liked “If You’re Feliz and You Know It.”
• I liked cutting out Conejo and Tortuga and playing with them.

Song School Spanish would be good for kids my age!

Dad's Call:

• I liked the use of songs in the lessons.
• I liked how the lessons are simple and reinforced for learning.
• The lessons are well laid out for ease of learning and for keeping student’s attention.

Momma would definitely recommend.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of Song School Spanish through the Schoolhouse Review Crew in exchange for my honest review.  I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.  All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.  All links were current when posted.

David Sticker Book by Karen Williamson and illustrated by Amanda Enright

David Sticker Book by Karen Williamson and illustrated by Amanda Enright

Genre- Christian / Juvenile

Published by- Candle Books

Copyrighted- 2012

Number of pages- 12 (also contains four pages of stickers)

Age Group- 3 and up (younger children would enjoy the story)

Description of book- paperback, listed price- $5.99, ISBN 978-1-85985-931-5

Written for young readers/listeners this delightful book will help them to learn all about David.

The four pages of stickers will help the children identify important characters in the story, like David, Saul, and Goliath as they put them on the pages.

Excerpt from the book!

About the Author-

Karen Williamson has three children and specializes in Bible stories for young readers.  She has worked as a publisher’s editor and a London primary school teacher.

About the Illustrator-

Amanda Enright currently lives with her family and black Russian Terrier, Harvey, in England.  She is inspired by Matisse and Picasso.

My thoughts-

My children and I enjoyed reading this book, looking at the illustrations, and putting on the stickers.

We thought it would be helpful if the pages were numbered and the sticker pages had corresponding numbers.  It would be easier to figure out where the stickers go.  I liked how the stickers added dimension to the page.

The illustrations were fun and the text was very informational.  I can imagine that we will read this book for many years to come.

All young children will enjoy this book.  They will like the story and especially the stickers.  Please pick up a copy of the book for the young ones in your life.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received David Sticker Book by Karen Williamson and illustrated by Amanda Enright for free from the Kregel Publications’ Blog Tour. All links were current when posted. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Read Aloud Challenge- February 19, 2013

This is flex week part two in school, so we are getting caught up in things like reading and other activities.

This past Saturday we went to the library and the kids checked out books and books on CD.  When we got home B sat down and started reading his Curious George books.  C went to her room and started listening to the Boxcar Children.  After we had lunch B wanted to listen the Boxcar Children CD he checked out, so B, C, and my husband spent the afternoon listening to the CD.  I think they had a lot of fun.

The past two terms we have been reading Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s The Song of Hiawatha and we are really enjoying it. 

We are still reading Carry on Mr. Bowditch while we are working on our handwriting.  I am so please with the quality and quantity of handwriting that has been done. 

One fun little book we are reading this week is The Adventures of Jerry Muskrat by Thornton Burgess.  The children are enjoying this book.  I was glad I could find it for free on the Kindle.  I’m not sure the local library would have it.

We are also reading Polar Bears Past Bedtime by Mary Pope Osborne. 

This was our week of reading. What did you read this week to your children?

Changing Churches by Dottie Parish

Changing Churches: A View from the Pew by Dottie Parish

Genre- Religion / Christian Life / General

Publisher- WinePress Publishing

Copyrighted- 2012

Number of pages- 192

Age Group- Adult

Description of book- paperback, listed price- $16.99, ISBN 978-1-4141-2152-9

 

Changing Churches by Dottie Parish is about her journey to find the church that would best fit her, because of the troubles in those churches.

Dottie Parish shows us:

• How to find the church God wants us to go to.
• How to understand all of the changes that are happening in the churches.
• What the right reasons are for leaving a church.
• How to work together as a married couple when leaving and searching for a new church.

About the Author:

Dottie Parish and her husband returned to her faith in 1990.  She is a mother and grandmother.  She has had more than thirty years of professional experience as a counselor.  This is her first book.

 

 

 

 

 

My thoughts-

I really liked Changing Churches by Dottie Parish.  I liked how she divided it into two parts:

• “Part 1: A Journey in Three Churches”
• “Part 2: Lessons for Changing Churches”

I liked the “Interlude” which shows leavers of the church and leaders of the church how to best leave a church and what it is like for those who leave the church.

This book was an easy read and people of all denominations can use it.  One of the most important parts of this book to me was how Dottie Parish discussed what she went through as she spent time in different churches and how it felt to her.

My favorite chapter  was chapter 13, “Changing Churches in a Changing Culture.”  This chapter contained information about technology in churches, mega churches, and postmodern churches.

I would recommend this book to everyone.  All leaders and laypersons need to read this book.

Informational and Purchasing Links:

Dottie Parish blogs on a variety of subjects at  http://www.faithnotes-dottie.blogspot.com and on Marriage and Family issues on www.taberstruths.com.                    

You can also visit with her on Facebook.

Purchase online at: Amazon or your local retailers.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received a free copy of Changing Churches by Dottie Parish to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of The CWA Review Crew. All links were current when posted.

Wordless Wednesday- Summer

I can’t wait for the warmth of summer.

Reading Challenge- February 12, 2013

This is our flex week in school, so that means we should be up-to-date in our reading.  We have a lot of reading to do.  I am thinking that we need to check the books out on tape or cd or we may never finish them. 

This week we are continuing to read The Amazing Impossible Erie Canal by Cheryl Harness. We have finished reading the main text and now we get to have the fun of studying the text that goes with the illustrations.

We are also reading poetry this year.  The past two terms we have been reading Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s The Song of Hiawatha.  We had started reading a book of favorite poems by him, but we did not care for the subject matter.

We are still reading Carry on Mr. Bowditch while we are working on our handwriting.  I am so please with the quality and quantity of handwriting that has been done.  And Nat Bowditch is cool.  I really like those mathematicians.

We had been reading and studying Davy Crockett this past term, so I was excited when I found a book on CD about him.  The book was written by Richard Bruce Winders and read by Benjamin Becker.  We all enjoyed learning about Davy Crockett on our truck ride. 

This was our week of reading. What did you read this week to your children?

Top Ten Reasons We Love Libraries

We love going to the libraries in the towns we visit.  Each of the libraries are the same, yet they are each different (mainly in the building designs).

The top ten reasons why we love libraries:

1.  There are so many different books to check out.  We live in an area that takes from two other libraries.  The state we live in during the summer lets us check out books from any library with one card.

2.  We can check out DVDs from current releases to documentaries.

3.  Free programs like lecture series, author signings, art classes, and story time.

4.  Daily or yearly books sales.  We were recently at a library that sells books daily and we found Dan Frontier books and Cowboy Sam books.  We had been looking for books in those series for a long time.  It was so exciting!

5.  We enjoy visiting with the librarians.  I have found that it is best to use the library frequently, because the service will be better.  The kids also enjoy going to visit Grandma.

6.  Internet Service-  When we are in our summer state it is so important to have the libraries high-speed internet.

7.  We enjoy going to the newer library buildings with the high ceilings and large windows.

8.  Some of the libraries have fun toys to play when we go to check out books.

9.  The summer reading program which encourages reading and has fun weekly programs.

10.  You can  always find what you need at the library!

Spiritually Stronger in 40 days! by Serge Roux-Levrat

Genre- Christian / Self-help

Published by- Heavens Press GmbH

Copyrighted- 2012

Number of pages- 93

Age Group- Adult

Description of book- Ebook (Kindle Format), listed price- $5.36, ISBN 978-3-906001-12-8

 

Containing a 40-day plan, Spiritually Stronger in 40 Days contains the steps to help us accomplish big projects with smaller milestones.  Topics discussed are loving and obeying Jesus,  not looking back, your best life is before you, and more.

About the Author:

Serge Roux-Levrat was born in France and has completed the General Manager Program of Harvard Business School.  He married in 1995 and they have two children.  In 2001 he lost his job and it was then that he learned to put his trust completely in God.  He is an Ambassador of Jesus Christ and works through SRL Ministries.

 

My thoughts-

I really enjoyed this book.  I liked how short the daily messages were and the “HOMEWORK” section.  This is a book that will work perfectly for today’s people on the go.  It was a great idea to put this book on the Kindle, because the reader can easily take the book with them and take their notes right there on the Kindle.  It is very handy and I like everything right there on hand for easy access. 

There is so much great information for all men and women.  I know that if you read this book and do the homework and stick with the different 40 day homework assignments you will grow.  Day 36 about discipline is one of those days that has a 40 day homework assignment.  I think that it is great that I have the homework assignment to help me gain discipline in my life.  I know that it will work, because I know that it takes at around 40 days to help establish the new habit.  I only hope that I can stick with it.

Please buy a copy of this book today.  I highly recommend it.

Informational and Purchasing Links:

SRL MInistries

SRL Ministries on Facebook

Purchase online at: Amazon or your local retailers.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received a free copy of Spiritually Stronger in 40 Days by Serge Roux-Levrat to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of The CWA Review Crew. All links were current when posted.

The Oldest Enemy by Michael J Webb

Genre- Christian Fiction / Supernatural / Mystery

Published by- Risen Books

Copyrighted- 2012

Number of pages- 312

Age Group- Adult

Description of book- Ebook, listed price- $3.99, ISBN 978-1-936835-13-3

Six years ago David Lighthouse was an investigative reporter for the Denver Post.  He was accused of the murder of his fiancé and he moved to Florida to become an assistant pastor.  Now a parishioner is murdered and he is again a prime suspect.  His investigator instincts return and he discovers some disturbing clues.

He teams up with his father, murdered girl’s sister, and an Auschwitz survivor to face a German billionaire and supernatural forces.

About the Author:

Michael J Webb and his wife currently live in North Carolina.  He graduated from the University of Florida and has gotten in J.D. there too.  He enjoys history, and where the scientific, supernatural, and Biblical world views intersect.

 

 

 

 

 

My thoughts-

The Oldest Enemy began as a book I didn’t want to put down and that I couldn’t read in the dark.  Unfortunately by the end of the book, neither statement was true anymore.

It was about halfway through the book that the supernatural element was gone.  It did come back towards the end though, but it wasn’t as scary as it was in the beginning.  I was hoping that the demons would take a more active role and that something more interesting would happen in Israel.  That didn’t happen though.  It was cool that the Israelis were so on top of it.  I’m glad that they were.

While I like reading about the supernatural, this book was just a little too long for me.  It needed to either be shorter or have more excitement.  I do think many people would would enjoy it, so why not check it out today?

Informational and Purchasing Links:

Blog: http://www.michaeljwebbfiction.com/

Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/MichaelJWebbBooks

Amazon Author Page:  https://www.amazon.com/author/michaeljwebbfiction

Purchase online at: Amazon or your local retailers.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received a free copy of The Oldest Enemy by Michael J Webb to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of The CWA Review Crew. All links were current when posted.

Wordless Wednesday- The Roots and the Rocks

Sometimes our lives are like these rocks, so tangled that we can’t get out.  Please turn to God for help.  Have a blessed day!

Read Aloud Challenge- February 5, 2013

We need to read more in our house, but time seems to always get away from us.  I am just so glad that we do read a lot during school time.  We usually read a lot for history and science.

This week we are continuing to read The Amazing Impossible Erie Canal by Cheryl Harness.  This is a picture book and has a lot of amazing illustrations and descriptions.  My son keeps asking me to read the book to him.  I could look at the illustrations and read the descriptions all day.

We are also reading poetry this year.  We have been reading Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s The Song of Hiawatha.  It is a very long poem, but we all find that it is better than his other poetry. 

We have been having difficulties sometimes with working on handwriting lessons this year.  I recently read a blog post about a mother who read to her children while they worked on their handwriting.  I decided to do that.  One of the books we had been reading for American History was Carry on Mr. Bowditch.  We hadn’t finished it by the time we needed to begin something else for American History, so I decided to read this book while the children work on their handwriting.  I was so excited when it worked.  They went from arguing about working on two lines to sitting there and writing eight lines.  And they could answer the questions I asked them about what I had been reading to them.

This was our week of reading.  What did you read this week to your children?