Clothed With Thunder by Vicki Watson (Review)

Clothed With Thunder (Sonrise Stable, book 3)

by Vicki Watson

(I received this book for review purposes.)

Genre- Christian / Juvenile

Publisher- Morris Publishing

Copyrighted- 2012

Number of pages- 136

Age Group- Juvenile

Description of book- Paperback, $9.99, ISBN: 978-0-9847242-2-2

Clothed With Thunder, by Vicki Watson, is the third book in the Sonrise Stable Series.  Rosie and her new adopted sister, Carrie, are planning on giving a 4-H demonstration on the creation of horses.  Their parents, uncle, aunt, and grandmother are going to try to buy a place that is up for auction.

Rosie and Carrie are planning the demonstration, because another member gave one on the evolution of horses.  Their grandma helps them and they also learn information from their parents and the farrier.

Will their demonstration be a success?  Will Billy King cause more problems or will Rosie be able to forgive him?

Also included is a description of four, descriptions of the parts of a horse that is made by God, and a description of eQuest 4 Truth, a website dedicated to the origin of the horse.

About the Author:

Vicki Watson has been involved with horses since she was eight-years-old.  She never realized how important God would be and how He would help their relationship through her relationship with animals. 

My thoughts: It is not very often that I am thrilled when I look at the cover of a book and read the description on the back, but I was with Clothed With Thunder, by Vicki Watson.  I thought it was great that Rosie and her family homeschooled and that their Christian faith was so strong.

Even though this is the third book in the Sonrise Stable Series, it can stand alone.  And in this book I learned more about the creation of the horse and how many times horse is mentioned in the Bible.  One of the most important things I learned applies to the care of horses.  I read that a horse who is likely to founder can have fresh grass in the early morning when the sugar levels in the grass are the lowest.

Watson has written a book which will be popular with girls and homeschooling families.  My nine-year-old son has read the book twice and my seven-year-old daughter has enjoyed listening to it.  I plan on buying buying a copy for my niece.

I highly recommend this book to everyone!  You will learn a lot.

Informational and Purchasing Links:

Visit Vicki Watson at her website: Sonrise Stables.

Visit Vicki Watson on Twitter.

Subscribe to her YouTube Channel.

You can purchase from Vicki Watson or on Amazon.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received a free copy of Clothed with Thunder by Vicki Watson 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.

Read Aloud Challenge- Week of August 25, 2010

I can’t believe that it is getting so close to fall.  Our temperatures are still in the 80’s and the garden is growing very well.  Soon we will officially begin school again and I will have so many more books to tell you about.  We just have not been reading aloud very much this summer.  C just had a picture book read to her and we have been trying to read a little bit every day.

We took a trip last week and we listen to Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery.  B and C have really enjoyed listening to it.  I have too.  We just have two more disks to listen to.  I think we will need to use the computer to finish listening to them and we can get it returned to the library.

Have a wonderful week!  What have you been reading?

Picture of the Week!- week of August 25, 2013

What happens when you microwave a Peep.

The Candle Classic Bible from Candle Books (Review)

The Candle Classic Bible: Retold in 365 Stories

from Candle Books

(received in exchange for an honest review)

 

Genre- Bible / Nonfiction

Published by- Candle Books

Copyrighted- 2012

Number of pages- 356

Age Group- Juvenile

Description of book- hardback, listed price- $14.99, ISBN 978-1-85985-867-7

Containing 365 stories, The Candle Classic Bible from Candle Books is filled with Bible stories that can be read daily either by a child or the entire family.  Each story has the book and chapter that it is taken from, so you can read more about it in the Bible.  The illustrations are well done and the hardcover helps to keep the book in excellent condition.

My thoughts-

I enjoy reading children’s Bible storybooks and The Candle Classic Bible from Candle Books for juveniles was really good.  I thought the story length and the amount of detail was perfect for the short Bible stories.  These 365 stories also included where they came from in the Bible, so we could have studied further in the Bible.  B was enjoying reading the stories after I had read some to both of them.

Some more things I liked:

• It had a nice hardcover and was only 14.99.
• It contained many of Jesus’s parables.
• The table of contents listed the different sections in bold.
• The illustrations were well done and on most pages.

The only thing I didn’t like was the lack of stories from the end of the New Testament, like Revelations or Romans.  I am glad though that there were more stories than are typically in Bible storybooks.

I highly recommend The Candle Classic Bible for children and their families who want to learn more about God.  This book would also be good for those who are learning English or want a good introduction to the Bible.

C (age 7) said, “I liked the illustrations.  I liked the stories.  It is good for kids my age.”

B (age 9) said, “It was a very good book.  I really liked illustrations.  The book was very good for kids my age.”  

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received The Candle Classic Bible from Candle Books 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.

A Trip to the Library Lapbook from In the Hands of a Child (Schoolhouse Crew Review)

We received A Trip to the Library Lapbook from In the Hands of a Child  for review purposes.

                           

Product link: A Trip to the Library

Vendor Contact Information: In the Hands of a Child

Age Appeal: K-3rd

Format: Downloadable PDF

Price: $10.00

Our Experience:

We have family members who work at the library, so I thought B and C would enjoy this lapbook, because they already know a lot about the library and this way they could learn the parts that I have not actively taught them, like the Dewey Decimal System.

When we got the download I read all of the information to B and C.  B was really interested in learning about it.  I knew that C would learn more as we were putting the lapbook together.  Cutting isn’t B’s thing, while it is C’s, so C was the one who did all of the cutting.  She also worked on tracing the words, because our printer was running out of ink and it was really hard to see the letters.  C worked hard on it and I assisted her.  We aren’t doing school right now and it only took us a couple of days.  After we cut everything out, we assembled it and took pictures.  You can see some below.

I Liked:

• I liked the PDF information about the library.  It had a lot of detail, like about the parts of a book and the Dewey Decimal System.  B and C now know the different parts.
• It is perfect for children who like to cut or improve their cutting skills.
• I liked learning the rules of the library.  Sometimes when we go to the library I can tell that some of the children have never been taught about how to behave while at the library.
• I liked doing this as a family, because we saved on paper and ink and come closer as a family.
• I liked all of the information on how to do a lapbook and how to work on this specific one.

I Disliked:

• It takes a lot of paper and ink, so I think it can be better to work on as a family. 
• It took much longer to do the activities than I thought it would.

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

It was a good product.  I don’t really like to cut, so C did a lot of the cutting.  I had fun laying the pieces onto the lapbook.  It’s pretty good for kids my age. 

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

I liked the product.  It was really fun.  It was a lot of cutting and tracing.  I learned about the different types of libraries.  I liked the 500’s best in the library, because you can find animals.  I plan on looking at the lapbook, because I like it and I want to remember things from the library.

It was good for kids my age and younger and older.

Dad’s Call: 

Dad was unavailable for this review.

Mamma recommends A Trip to the Library Lapbook, just remember to have lots of ink and paper on hand for printing.  If your child doesn’t like to cut you may need to do the cutting.

Understanding Child Brain Development DVD from the Family Hope Center (Schoolhouse Review Crew)

We received the Understanding Child Brain Development DVD from the Family Hope Center for review purposes.

                           

Product link: To order the DVD, please call 610-397-1737 or you can order Understanding Child Brain Development from IEW.

Vendor Contact Information: Family Hope Center

Age Appeal: Adults

Format: DVD

Price: $19.00

 

Our Experience:

Since this DVD wasn’t for children, B and C didn’t participate and there will be no reviews from them.  My husband and I watched the video separately and came to similar conclusions.  Read on to find what they were!

I Liked:

• I liked all of the specific information about the brain and how it develops in a young child.  My first thought was that I wish I had watched something like this before I was a parent.
• I was glad it was in six languages, so it can reach more people.
• It was thorough enough to be good for people in the medical field to share the information with their patients.
• Not only was this DVD good for parents of special needs, it is good for all parents.
• I’m glad they evaluate the brain, not the disability to help the child improve
• The slides were complete and helped me understand exactly what a child should be doing at a certain age (birth to thirty-six months).
• I’m glad the Family Hope Center takes the whole child and their environment into consideration.

I Disliked:

• Nothing

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

The video was not for his age.

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

The video was not for her age.

Dad’s Call: 

I found the Family Hope Center's video "How To Help Your Child With Special Needs" to be quite informative.  They showed how a child's basic movements affect the operation and growth of the brain.  They also explained how we parents can unknowingly hinder a child's brain growth.  What I found to be the most positive is that if a child is developmentally behind his peers that there are non-pharmaceutical, non-invasive surgery methods to stimulate the particular parts of a brain to correct the disorganization of that part.  The Family Hope Center deviates away from society's unattractive labels used to describe symptoms by using the language to discuss the cause.

This information would be an excellent training source for hospital maternity wards, mid-wives and those involved with prenatal care.  A shortened DVD version with a simple printed list of what activity relates to which part of the brain would be good for new parents to have.  This way parents would have an easy reference to understanding their child's behavior and reduce the parent's anxiety at the same time.

Overall I thought the 2 hour and 10 minute video was worth my time.  It did start off rather slow and technical but it all came together in the end.  I give praise to the Family Hope Center for seeking out the answers to solve problems instead of simply treating symptoms with prescriptions, braces of various types or invasive surgery.  Keep up the great work!

Mamma recommends Understanding Child Brain Development from the Family Hope Center to anyone who works with children from birth to thirty-six months and even those who have older children.

Death Be Not Proud by C. F. Dunn (Review)

Death Be Not Proud (Secret of the Journal, book 2)

by C. F. Dunn

(received in exchange for an honest review)

 

Genre- Christian / Fiction

Published by- Lion Hudson

Copyrighted- 2013

Number of pages- 384

Age Group- Adult

Description of book- paperback, listed price- $14.99, ISBN 978-178264-034-9

Death Be Not Proud, by C. F. Dunn, begins where Mortal Fire ended.  Professor Emma D’Eresby goes home to England after being viciously attacked by a colleague.  After she begins to recover from the attack she spends time reading the journal that discusses Matthew Lynes, the man from America she has fallen in love with.  Will she be able to face what she has learned?  Will she still love Matthew?  Can her family accept him?

Also included in the book is a list of characters, maps of Stamford and Rutland, author’s notes, and what has happened in the story thus far. 

Excerpt from Death Be Not Proud!

About the Author-

C.F. Dunn lives in England with her husband and daughters where she writes and runs a specialist dyslexia and autism school.

 

My thoughts-

I thought Death Be Not Proud, by C. F. Dunn was better than the first book in the series, Mortal Fire.

While the first book focused primarily on Emma D’Eresby’s infatuation with Matthew Lynes, this book focused more on finding out the mystery behind who Mathew is.  I was very glad to have that as the focus, not so much the desperate woman.  I’m not going to spoil any surprises, but I was surprised when I learned the mystery of Matthew.

I always enjoy reading any extras about the book, the author may share, you can often learn a lot.  I enjoyed learning about the area of England that is represented in this novel.  Dunn took a lot of time to research the area and she did a good job of mixing fiction and fact.

I would recommend this book to those who like mystery and a little romance.  I’m looking forward to the next book in The Secret of the Journal series, Rope of Sand. 

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received Death Be Not Proud, by C. F. Dunn, 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 for the Week of August 11, 2013

I can’t believe that summer is almost over.  It has gone by so quickly.  Have you been reading aloud in your family?  We have been doing it, but not on a consistently. 

I have been reading Berenstain Bears books to both B and C.  Every time we go to the library they have to check them out and also Curious George books.

In the pickup we have been listening to Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery.  I think they are enjoying it. 

Have a wonderful week!  Keep on reading.

Picture of the Week!- Week of August 11, 2013

Early Summer Beauty!

The Fascinating World of Insects DVD from BrainFood Learning (Homeschool Crew Review)

We received The Fascinating World of Insects DVD from BrainFood Learning for review purposes.

                           

Product link: The Fascinating World of Insects

Vendor Contact Information: BrainFood Learning

Age Appeal: All ages, but primarily preschool to younger grades

Format: paperback (ISBN: 978-0-9890606-0-8, copyright 2011)

Price: $14.99

Does your family like learning about insects?  The Fascinating World of Insects DVD features the grasshopper, ladybug, rhino beetle, firefly, mosquito, honey bee, water strider, praying mantis, dragonfly, and butterfly.  It is filled with videography, photography, and information about each insect.  At the end of each insect description there are fun scientific words to learn, like species.

This video is appropriate for all ages.

Our Experience:

When The Fascinating World of Insects DVD arrived in the mail the children opened the package and decided they wanted to watch the video right away, so we watched it together.  We all thought that the photography and videography was wonderful.  We just wished that there had been more information about each insect.  Both B and C thought the review questions were too easy, but I could tell they had fun answering them. 

C has watched the video another time.  This time it was on the computer and she enjoyed it.  She had a more difficult time answering some of the vocabulary questions, so I think that children her age can learn a lot.  It would especially be true if they had not studied insects before.  B and C had previous knowledge of these insects.

I Liked:

• The videography and photography was excellent.  We originally watch the DVD on the t.v.  The second time C and I watched it on the laptop.  The widescreen really made the photos spectacular.
• I think this video is perfect as a beginning point for older elementary school children.  They would be able to pick an insect, then use the library or the internet to learn more about it.  Younger children can learn more facts about the various insects each time they watch the DVD.
• In the menu it is easy to pick which insect to watch or review questions to do in the menu.
• I thought the review questions were really helpful.  I could tell what the children had learned.  The different levels were perfect for different ages of children.
• I liked how there was an entomology consultant from Washington State University.  It was very encouraging seeing that one of the writers had a M. Ed.

I Disliked:

• While the sections on each of the insects was very informative, I thought they could have been longer.  There was almost as much time dedicated to the review questions as there was to the insects.

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

I didn’t particularly like it.  My favorite part was about the praying mantis.  I like the praying mantis.  I also kind of liked the mosquitoes.  I don’t know why I liked them.  I liked the ladybugs, because I like ladybugs.  It’s better for those younger than I am.

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

I liked the photos and video.  The review questions were easy.  I liked the multiple choice.  My favorite insect was the ladybug.  I liked it because it eats other insects that are bad.  The Fascinating World of Insects is good for kids my age.  It is also good for kids younger than me.

Dad’s Call: 

Dad was unavailable for this review. 

Mamma highly recommends The Fascinating World of Insects from BrainFood Learning.

Get Real by Jamy Whitaker (Review)

Get Real: Stop Hiding Behind the Mask

by Jamy Whitaker

(I received this book for review purposes.)

Genre- Nonfiction / Christian

Publisher- WestBow Press

Copyrighted- 2012

Number of pages- 116

Age Group- Adult

Description of book- Paperback, $11.99, ISBN: 978-1-4497-6404-3

Get Real, by Jamy Whitaker, focuses on how we can take off the mask and show everyone who we really are.

Whitaker has divided the book into three parts; “Identify,” Insecurities,” and “Perspective.”  In these sections she discusses who we are and how to discover it, how to get rid of our insecurities, and how to be the best that we can be for God.

The masks can come off and we can live a productive life centered on God.

About the Author:

Jamy Whitaker currently lives in Indiana with her husband and five children.  She has an English degree from Indiana State University.

 

 

My thoughts: Get Real, by Jamy Whitaker had a lot of good information and showed me that sometimes I do put on a mask to show that everything is o.k., when it is not.

I liked how the book was divided into three different parts, so that later I can go back and read the section where I feel I need to reveal more of myself.  I found the end of chapter questions very helpful.  I just wish that they had been placed at the end of the chapters and not at the end of the book.  I do not like flipping back and forth.

I really liked the focus on going deeper into the Bible to study it and then share what we have learned.

My favorite part was on page thirty-five about forgiveness.  Psalm 103:12 says that God forgives and forgets.  As humans we need to remember to do that too.

I recommend this book to all.  We need to stop hiding.

Informational and Purchasing Links:

Follow Jamy Whitaker on her website: http://www.jamywhitaker.org.

Buy a copy at  Amazon, Barnes & Noble or WestBow Press.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received a free copy of Get Real: Stop Hiding Behind the Mask by Jamy Whitaker 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.

Read Aloud Challenge! Week of July 28, 2013

We are not reading very much aloud, but the kids have been reading to themselves.  I have read some picture books to the kids this week and we always have books on CD for the rides to town.  We don’t go to town very much though, don’t want to waste the gas.

We finished 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.  We are now reading Black Beauty, by Anne Sewell.  The kids and I are really enjoying it.  I think we will be listening to the last disk on the way back home today (we are at the library right now).

Enjoy your summer of reading!

Finding the Good in Grief by John F. Baggett (Review)

Finding the Good in Grief: Rediscover Joy After a Life-changing Loss

by John F. Baggett

(received in exchange for an honest review)

 

 

Genre- Christian Life / Personal Growth

Published by- Kregel Publications

Copyrighted- 2013

Number of pages- 160

Age Group- Adult

Description of book- paperback, listed price- $11.99, ISBN 978-0-8254-4319-0

In Finding the Good in Grief, the author, Dr. John F. Baggett, shares his story of the grief over the mental illness of his son and how he spiritually was able to make it through the grief.  He also included the stories of others at the end of each chapter. 

Five Steps are important for being able to move on.  They are:

1.  “Trust God and Rely on Others”

2.  “Choose Reality Instead of Illusion”

3.  “Resist the Temptation to get Stuck”

4.  “Recognize Moments of Grace”

5.  “Discover New Meaning and Purpose”

Also included in the book are Bible verses before each chapter and questions at the end of each chapter.

Excerpt!

About the Author-

Rev. Dr. John F. Baggett currently lives with his wife in Florida.  He has written another book and has a PhD in psychiatric anthropology.  Baggett and his wife have a ministry which helps people find joy again after a loss.  His website is johnfbaggett.com.

My thoughts-

Finding the Good in Grief, by John F. Baggett, was an informational book about finding what is good in life no matter the loss you have suffered.

I liked the personal stories at the end of each chapter.  They helped to show how to put the information given in the chapter to practical use.  I do wish that so many of the stories hadn’t been so devastating.  There are many of us with less devastating losses.

I did like the Bible verses before each chapter.  I also liked the end of each chapter with the section called, “Your Story.”  This section offered questions and Bible verses to write about in my personal journal.

Baggett’s five steps separated the chapters into sections and helped me to learn how to properly grieve spiritually.  My favorite step was the last one, “Discover New Meaning and Purpose.”  I liked this section, because it is important to become a new person after dealing with grief.

I do recommend this book to those who are suffering from grief and need spiritual help.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received Finding the Good in Grief: Rediscover Joy After a Life-changing Loss, by John F. Baggett, 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.

Picture of the Week!- Week of July 28, 2013

Some of the radishes we picked for lunch.