The Dragon and the Raven (Schoolhouse Review Crew Review!)

We received this for review purposes!

Product Links: The Dragon and the Raven

Vendor Information Link: Heirloom Audio Productions

Age Appeal: 6 and up

Format: Physical set of two CDs (2 1/2 hours) and downloadable bonuses

Price: $99.97 for “The Family Four-Pack” (includes four copies of The Dragon and the Raven and 7 bonuses), $29.97 for the Single Pack (one copy and three bonuses), and $19.97 for the Instant Access MP3 download and two bonuses  

Does your family enjoy listening to audio dramas? 

Heirloom Audio Productions latest adaption of G. A. Henty’s, The Dragon and the Raven, is one your family will want to listen to.

This story is about King Alfred of Wessex and the fighting he must do against the Danes.  The Danish army has been winning against every kingdom they fight.  King Alfred realizes that his country needs to turn to the God his country has forgotten about.

Will King Alfred be able to help his kingdom?  Who is Edmund, and how will he be able to help?

Our Experience: 

Our family has always enjoyed listening to audio books, so we were excited to try this audio drama.  B was especially excited, because he has read several G. A. Henty books.

We listened to the story as we were driving around town and eating meals.  It was an awesome and powerful story.  We used the 49 page study guide too.  We would go over the questions after we listened to some of the tracks. 

I know this is a story we will listen to again and again.  We will also make great use of the study guide at that time.

Mama’s Thoughts:

• I really thought this was a great story about God and country.  I don’t remember ever hearing about King Alfred.  I thought he was a really spectacular king.
• The downloadable study guide was very useful.  At the end of each track there were three section of questions and vocabulary.  There were the Listening Well questions, the Thinking Further questions, and the Defining Words section.  These questions helped me determine if B and C had listened to the track well enough, or if we needed to listen to it again.  This study guide will work for us for many years to come and many different grade levels.  The list of recommended reading at the Bible studies at the end were helpful for our family.  There was also extra information about G. A. Henty and King Alfred.
• C thought that the parts of the story that had the fighting were scary.  B enjoyed the entire story. 
• I enjoy listening to the mp3 soundtrack (one of the bonuses) when I’m working on the computer.
• I was impressed with the actors and actresses, who were involved with this production.  I remember seeing them in the different movies like, The Hobbit, Indiana Jones, and The Lord of the Rings.  It was a lot of fun watching them in the behind-the-scenes documentary (one of the bonuses).

B’s Thoughts (boy, age 12, officially in sixth grade):   

I liked this Christian audio drama.  I thought it was fun, adventurous, and exciting.

I liked listening to this during lunch and while traveling.

I liked the behind-the-scenes documentary.  It was fun learning more about The Dragon and the Raven.  I thought it was cool that some of the actors worked on The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and Star Wars.   

I would highly this audio drama to boys and girls, who are six and up. 

 

C’s Thoughts (girl, age 10, officially in fourth grade):

• I think this audio book would be good for boys and girls.
• I liked the music in The Dragon and the Raven.
• I thought it was scary, because of the Danes and all the fighting.
• When our oven is fixed, I would like to make the “Alfred cakes.”
• I thought the Behind the Scenes video was exciting, because I didn’t know that some of the actors worked on The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.

 Dad’s Thoughts:

One of the things I like about The Dragon and The Raven is the casting of multiple people to tell the story. While one person can speak many voices the story leaps to life when you have different voices for different characters. This production is well done and has been enjoyable to listen to. I hope you get the chance to immerse yourself in this tale telling story.

 

Mama highly recommends the !

Social Media Links!

Heirloom Audio Productions Social Media Sites:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeirloomAudio

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeirloomStories @HeirloomStories

Google+: https://plus.google.com/b/114534826166314080647/114534826166314080647/posts

Instagram: @HeirloomAudioOfficial

The Dragon and The Raven product specific facebook page:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDragonAndTheRaven

The Extraordinary Adventures of G.A. Henty specific facebook page:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheExtraordinaryAdventuresOfGAHenty

   

Review of Heirloom Audio Productions’ Under Drake’s Flag by G.A. Henty (Schoolhouse Crew Review)

We received this for review purposes!

Product Links: Under Drake's Flag

Vendor Information Link: Heirloom Audio Productions

Age Appeal: six through adult

Format: two CD set with physical study guide and a more complete downloadable PDF study guide available through the internet for free

Price: $29.95 for the physical copy ($20 for an audio download)

Under Drake’s Flag was recorded in London, England, for Heirloom Audio Productions.  This recording was recorded in a movie-quality audio theater and features different actors such as Brian Blessed, Hugo Docking, and Andrew Williams.

Ned Hawkshaw has been asked to sail with Francis Drake.  He meets another young man, Gerald.  Ned and Gerald sail on the Atlantic Ocean with Drake, who is a privateer under Queen Elizabeth I.  He teaches them Biblical morals and values while they are together.  Ned and Gerald are become separated from Drake, but they show his morals and values while they are with the Africans and the Spanish they meet. 

Our Experience: 

I was really excited when we were selected for this review.  I personally like audio dramas and I have been interested in reading or listening to G. A. Henty’s books.  I was a little concerned though, because we tried listening to an audio drama three years ago and neither B nor C enjoyed listening to it.  I do not even think we finished it.

I was met with some negativity from the beginning, but we managed to listen to the first disk and part of the second disk.  We had to stop when the fighting between the Africans and the Spanish became to much for the children.

I waited a few weeks and decided to try listening to the story with the children again.  They were still reluctant, but they were a little bit more excited this time.  This time we listened to it on the computer outside instead of in the pickup driving down the road.  They were more receptive to the story and eagerly answered the questions from the study guide.

I thought this was an excellent audio drama, but it was not for B and C, because they were more sensitive to the live action.

Mama’s Thoughts:

• I thought the music was wonderful and I enjoyed having every character in the story being portrayed by a person.  B and C do better with one person doing the talking I have learned.
• Both the study guide included with the disks and the downloadable PDF were very complete.  A family could really use Under Drake’s Flag for both a history lesson and a Bible study.  I liked that there were three different section, “Listening Well”, “Thinking Further”, and “Defining Words.”  It helped B, C, and myself understand what we listened to and think about why they did what they did.  There was also a section dedicated to Bible study.
• The Charlotte Mason Method of living books works perfectly with Under Drake’s Flag.  While we did not learn a lot about Drake himself, we did learn about what life was like during the late 1500’s. 
• B and C did not like the violence and drama, so if you have young children you may want to listen to the story first.  It might scare them.

B’s Thoughts (boy, age 10, officially in fifth grade):   

I did not really like Under Drake’s Flag.  I did not like the drama involved. 

I did like the music and the voices.  I thought there was good acting.  I did like that Donna Anna and Ned got married at the end of the story.

I wish there had been answers to the study guide, other than that I liked the study guide.   

I do not think this would be good for children who are six to ten years-old.

C’s Thoughts (girl, age 8, officially in third grade):

It would not be good for kids who are six years-old.  The audio drama was not my thing.

I only liked the beginning and the end, because those times were happy.  There was not any killing or anything like that.

Dad’s Thoughts:

Dad was not available.   

Mama recommends!