REVIEW: Heroes, Heroines, and Tales of the Ancient Past

I was recently given the opportunity to review Amy Puetz's latest history curriculum, Heroes, Heroines, and Tales of Ancient History. Amy herself is a homeschool graduate, with a passion for history. She's the owner of Golden Grasses Press, where she publishes her history curricula as well as other books for Christian families. She's also a columnist for Homeschool Enrichment Magazine. You might find her at your local homeschool conference this summer! I reviewed her American history curriculum a couple of years ago, and I really liked it.

This new ancient history offering is just as good. For $98.99, you receive a complete year's history curriculum (30 weeks, 150 lessons), geared for grades 1-6. The same price will get you the printed version or the digital version. Here's what's included:

• Heroes, Heroines, and Tales of Ancient History, parts 1 & 2: These are your spine books, each containing 75 lessons. (TOC & Sample Pages) The first book covers from Creation through Alexander the Great, and Part 2 covers from the Hellnistic Age through the Dark Ages.
• Additional Materials CD: SO much great stuff here! Picture study, printable games, crafts, timelines, and more. There are even pronunciation audio files, so you can figure out those tricksy ancient names. Ankhesenamen, anyone?
• Ancient History Historical Skits: Fun skits of some of the stories for children to act out. These would be great for a co-op situation!
• Listen to some Ancient History: Readings of various things, such as a portion of the Code of Hammurabi, Bible passages, and writings from ancient historical figures.
• Sing Some Ancient History: Recordings of songs you can learn as you go through the curriculum. This is a particular favorite of mine.

For the purpose of my review, I received a copy of the digital version, and I really like having that. I lose books all the time, but I can usually find my iPad, so I just put the spine books and audio files on there. The other reason for doing so is that each spine book is roughly 300 pages long, so those are some hefty books to print. If you must have the printed books, I recommend ordering them from Amy and saving your printer.

What I like about the curriculum:

• The narrative style of the spine texts: History is much more engaging through a story. I love that some of the readings are tales from the cultures being studied, such as Sargon of Akkad, and Queen Semiramis. 
• Lots of biographies! 
• The multiple learning styles incorporated in each lesson
• Included activities: I can remember spending a lot of time searching the internet for the kinds of activities included here! My son loves to play the games, and anything hands-on is a hit.
• The organization: Each lesson has suggested activities and notes the location in the course materials. 
• Lessons are noted that might be too intense for some children, and there are alternative readings for those if you feel your children aren't ready.

Things I liked less:

• The readings are separated into 1st-2nd-grade readings, which are somewhat simplified, and 3rd-6th-grade readings. Personally, I would just use the readings for older children. 
• Five days per week for history is a lot, particularly when each lesson takes between 30-60 minutes to complete (including activities). However, since it's written for 30 weeks, you can certainly spread it out a bit and still finish in a school year. Other subjects come into play, too, such as picture study and geography.

As a side note, the Bible readings are from the KJV, but once you're finished with Creation, they are listed as references most of the time, for you to look up and read if you wish.

If you're looking for a complete history curriculum for Ancients written from a Christian perspective, this program is worth considering. Amy's passion for history shows in every bit of her program, and it's obvious she put a lot of thought and care into its design. Also, until May 27, 2016, you will receive free shipping on the printed version. 

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the digital curriculum from Amy Puetz/Golden Prairie Press in exhange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC regulations.

REVIEW: Motivate Your Child Action Plan

A while back, I reviewed Motivate Your Child, an amazing book by Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller. I am thrilled to be a part of the launch team for their latest book, Motivate Your Child Action Plan!  The Action Plan stands alone as a great tool for parents, and of course, goes perfectly with what they share in Motivate Your Child.

The books published by the National Center for Biblical Parenting, including the Motivate Your Child Action Plan, advocate heart parenting. Parents are encouraged to address the heart of a child, rather than only their behavior, and to be proactive in helping them become the person God created them to be. This approach is necessarily unique to each child, because each child is so different.

Motivate Your Child Action Plan is designed to help parents find the steps to help their child work through things they need to change. This book is set up like a workbook, and helps you figure out exactly what you need to do to address an issue with a child. There isn't a lot of writing - there are places for you to write, if you'd like. I have more than one child and more than one issue to address, so I do any writing in a separate notebook. In fact, writing things down has been key for me, because I tend to forget easily what has been discussed, and if we are going to have a plan and I am going to be consistent with helping them work through the plan, I'm going to need a written record of it. I'd never thought about writing things like this down before, and it's been very helpful.

There are twelve chapters in the book, and they average approximately 10 pages each. Additionally, there are 12 audio recordings,  one to accompany each chapter - the download instructions are in the book. You will learn how to identify specific areas in your child's character that need to be addressed, and work with them to strategize ways they can make changes. I love that the focus is on having the parent and child work as a team. We're also encouraged to pray for and with our children, and meet with them throughout the process. It's so important to maintain that connection. Also, parents are encouraged to review how things are going as they work with their children, and make any adjustments to what they're doing as needed.

There is a great deal of wisdom throughout this entire book, but my favorite quote is this:

Don't confuse firmness with harshness. Firmness draws a line that says, "This is not optional." Harshness adds emotional intensity to show that you mean business. Harshness damages the relationship and isn't necessary. (64; ch. 5). 

That one section speaks directly to my heart. I have a hard time keeping harshness out of my tone. It's something I've worked hard on over the years, and the only way I made any progress was to turn it over to the Lord and let the Holy Spirit work in my heart. I see the same thing now in one of my children. We are talking about it, working on it together. In fact, I showed them that quote, and pointed out that they tend toward harshness, particularly in dealing with another sibling. They are learning to turn to God, too, and listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

As wonderful as my children are, I can see in each of them issues we need to address. I haven't been sure how to go about that. I am pretty good at seeing the big picture: I can generally see what needs to change. I'm often stymied, though, when it comes to figuring out exactly how to accomplish those changes. As they say, the devil is in the details, and I am not always good with the details. That's where this book comes in: it helps me think through each part of the process, and remember that change isn't going to happen overnight. I'm learning more about how to be the mother my children need. Thank you, Dr. Turansky and Mrs. Miller, for sharing your work.

Purchasing options: 

If you order the Motivate Your Child Action Plan book through the National Center for Biblical Parenting before May 31, 2015, you can get it for $29.95 - 25% off the regular price of the book.

If you don't have the Motivate Your Child book, yet, and you'd like to get it along with the MYC Action Plan, you can order them together for $36.99 and save 35%!

You can also purchase the ebook version of MYC Action Plan for $9.99 for Kindle, Nook and iBooks.

The Pizza Bible: Learn to Make Great Pizza!

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I love pizza. At my house, we have pizza for dinner almost every Friday night. Sometimes we get to order out, and I love that, because I don't have to cook. However, most of the time, I make the pizza, so I'm always on the lookout for good recipes, tips and tricks. BloggingforBooks.org sent me a copy of The Pizza Bible by Tony Gemignani for review, and I'm excited to try out his methods. He owns seven restaurants, co-owns the International School of Pizza in San Francisco, and has been making pizza for 20 years. I'd say he's qualified to teach people how to make good pizza!

When the box with my book arrived, I had no idea what was in it. It was heavy! I thought, "Wow! The only things I'm expecting are a couple of books to review. What on earth is this?" It was my Pizza Bible. Goodness. I'd be tempted to get the Kindle version of this one, because it's a monster. On the other hand, it's a beautiful book with fabulous pictures, including instruction images. As a visual learner, I appreciate the photos, and while I know they'd still be there in an ebook, I like having this cookbook in my hands, big as it is. The one issue I have, aside from the weight of the book, is that the cover is made of porous paper. If I spill something on it when I'm working in the kitchen, it will most certainly stain the book and I won't be able to wipe it off. I don't like that.

Mr. Gemignani has assembled an impressive collection of recipes in his cookbook.  He has regional American, Chicago style (both deep-dish and cracker-thin), Sicilian, California style, Napoletana, regional Italian, global, grilled, wrapped and rolled, and focaccia and bread pizza recipes. I have to believe there is something in here that everyone will like!

I am personally most excited about the "Detroit Red Top" recipe, which is the style made at Buddy's Pizza, our favorite pizza place in Dearborn, Michigan (where my husband grew up). I have two blue steel pans on order and am anxiously awaiting their arrival so I can try my hand at making some!

Tony discusses three things that help you make great pizza : ingredients, tools, and time. The most surprising thing to me? He says pizza dough needs to rise slowly, in the refrigerator, for 36-48 hours. That's going to require some significant changes in my pizza-making routine. I guess I will have to schedule dough making on Wednesday if we want to have it for dinner on Friday.

If you're interested in learning to make great pizza, you have to give this cookbook a try!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from BloggingforBooks.org in exchange for my honest review. No other compensation was received. I am disclosing this information in accordance with FTC regulations.

Book Review: Motivate Your Child

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You know, this parenting gig is a lot more challenging than I ever thought it would be. Have you ever felt that way? I have often wondered why children don't come with some kind of manual. You hear people joke about it, but it's so true! When my first child was born, I was SO thankful I'd taken a parenting class - I would have had no idea that babies need to eat every hour or two. That was just the beginning of my ignorance.

As my girls began to get older, I learned that I was a "yeller." I saw fear in my children's eyes when I was angry, which was far too often. I didn't like being a yeller much, and worked hard to change that about myself. I had to learn that my anger was a choice. It sure didn't feel like one, after years of responding habitually with anger.

When we first started homeschooling, I was blessed beyond measure to "meet" Joanne Miller through a homeschooling message board, and she, along with some other wonderful ladies, set me on the road to heart parenting. Let me tell you, this has not been an easy journey for me. It's not at all the way I was raised. However, having seen the results of punitive parenting, I know this is a much better way. I was thrilled to be given the chance to review Motivate Your Child, a brand-new book by Mrs. Miller and Dr. Scott Turansky.

This book teaches parents about the conscience, and how to develop it in their children.  Through narrative - stories - you will find lots of ways to teach and encourage your children to be responsible, caring people of integrity. It took a long time to read it, because I made a lot of notes! I especially appreciate the Scripture references, because even though they were all familiar to me, I realized it would be good to have my children memorize them, and be able to remind them of pertinent ones.

Although I don't want to parent using behavioral modification, I find myself falling back on it because it's what I know. Get on electronics during school time? I will take them away. That's much easier than teaching responsibility. However, it doesn't take long to see that it only works when I'm available to supervise, and what happens when they're out of the house and on their own? They need to learn to be responsible for themselves.

My kids are some pretty fabulous people. When we are at church, for example, they work hard, and do so without being asked. At home tends to be a different story. I need some help getting them to take responsibility for what they should do, and to do things without being asked. I can definitely see some areas in their characters that need some work. This book gives great guidance in how to work on those things.

Heart parenting comes down to this: As a parent, I have to set a good example, and be willing to engage with my children. I have to keep working on being who God made me to be, in order to teach them to be the people God has created them to be. This has not been easy - I realized through reading this book just how selfish, and, frankly, lazy, I have allowed myself to become. It's much easier to address a behavior than the heart issue behind it. I'm changing my own habits, and that can be hard, but it's very much worth it. I've already seen positive results in my children. When I do what I need to do, they are much more willing do what they need to do. I want them to do the right thing because it IS the right thing, not just because I say so. I've wished often to know how to bring that about, and this book is helping tremendously.

Motivate Your Child is available on Amazon, $12.45 for a printed book and $9.78 for Kindle. And, if you purchase a book before January 31, 2015, you can email your receipt to gift@biblicalparenting.org and receive $150 in FREE parenting resources from the National Center for Biblical Parenting! This book is a fabulous tool for any parent. I encourage you to check it out.

Potluck With A Twist

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I love potluck meals. Our little church is full of the most fabulous cooks. I love it when there's going to be a "covered dish," because I know everyone brings their specialty dishes. Church ladies are the best, aren't they?

I was intrigued by this new cookbook I received to review: The Third Thursday Community Potluck Cookbook (available from Amazon in hardcover or ebook). The cover says it contains "150 Seasonal Southern Recipes." How could I turn it down? The author, Nancy Vienneau, is a local food activist, has a food blog, and  participates in a community potluck meal on the third Thursday of the month. In her cookbook, she's assembled favorite recipes from her unique group, using seasonal food.

This is a beautiful cookbook. From the pictures of beautiful food to the layout to the text, it's simply lovely to pore over and ponder the recipes. There are appetizers, main dishes, meat dishes, vegan dishes, and gift ideas. There's even a flourless cake! Truly, there is something for everyone in this varied, interesting collection of recipes.

I decided, as it's January, to try one of the January recipes: Tomato and Mozzerella Strata. The instructions were clear and easy to follow, and while the dish didn't turn out quite as it was supposed to, I'm pretty sure it was user error and not the fault of the recipe. It was not a quick dish to make, although it wasn't complicated; definitely something I'd make for a gathering (such as a potluck!) rather than just for lunch at home.

I'm going to try the Indian Potato and Onion Curry next - doesn't that sound delicious? I finally have some urad dal and can't wait to make that for my family. We love Indian food, but there's no Indian restaurant where we live, so I've been learning to make it. I'm always on the lookout for good recipes, and this one sounds great!

If you're in the market for a cookbook with some tasty, unique recipes using whole foods, definitely look at this one. I don't believe you'll be disappointed!

Want to Learn About Companion Planting?

I love to garden. I mostly love to plant flowers, but I've recently become interested in growing my own vegetables, too. I've heard a lot about companion planting, and have been interested to learn more about it.

Enter: The Mix And Match Guide to Companion Planting by Josie Jeffrey. I received a copy of this book from Blogging for Books, in exchange for my honest review.

In the first part of this book, there is some basic information on companion planting, along with how to use the book, as well as basic botany and gardening information. If you're completely new to gardening, this book would give you a good start.

Remember those mix-and-match books you had as a child, with characters split into three parts, and you could make a wrestler look like a ballerina with a duck head? That's how this book works. There are three sections: Aboveground Companion, Central Crop, and Belowground Companion. There are 25 plants in each section, arranged in alphabetical order: certainly not every plant you'll ever put in your garden, but plenty to get you started learning about companion planting. First, you choose your Central Crop, and then look for plants that will play nicely with it in your garden. Each central crop card has a row of colored dots across the top, and a row across the bottom. By matching those dots with cards above and below, hopefully I will find good plant pairings.

For example, let's say I want to plant turnips. As I flip through the top and bottom sections, I learn that rosemary is said to go well with brassicas (turnips are a brassica), so that would make a good aboveground companion. I also find that peas are good companions for turnips, so I could plant peas as a belowground companion. According to the handy-dandy key in the front of the book, rosemary attracts pollinating insects, turnips repel pests and deter soil pests, and peas can help increase the health of other plants, increase the yield of other plants, and improve the soil. Of course, turnips being root crops, and knowing that rosemary grows into a shrub and peas can be quite tall, I will have to be careful about arranging them together, but they should make a nice garden combination.

Overall, I'd say this is a nice beginning guide to companion planting. It's a fun book to help you pass the winter weeks as you plan your garden for spring!

I received a copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review. No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own. I'm disclosing this information in accordance with FTC regulations.

You Will Love This Game!

Our family loves to play games. We have such a good time together! It's a great way to connect, and we're always looking for a new game to try. We were recently given the opportunity to review the game Snake Oil from Out of the Box Games, through the Schoolhouse Review Crew.

This game, intended for ages 10 and up, is simple to play. You need at least three players: one to be the Customer, and the others to come up with products to sell. The Customer chooses a customer card, which tells you to whom you are selling. Each player gets six word cards, and when it's your turn to sell, you combine two word cards into your product, and then market it to the Customer. The Customer chooses the product they feel will best suit them, and the winning salesperson collects the Customer Card. The player with the most customer cards at the end of the game wins. Each game takes 20-30 minutes, depending on how many people are playing; when I played with my two girls, I think our playing times were shorter than that.

We laughed so hard when we played this game! When I chose my word cards, I thought I knew how I would combine them–until one of my girls chose a Customer card. When I had to sell something to specific person, everything I thought I would do went out the window. Since you have no control over the cards you get, this can make for some VERY interesting salesmanship. I was the first Customer, and my card was Executioner. One of my girls tried to sell me Diamond Spit, and the other tried to sell me a Sun Pony. Diamond Spit was very sharp and could take care of an execution for me; the Sun Pony shot laser beams from its eyes. See what I mean? (I chose Diamond Spit, in case you wondered.)

My younger daughter was the second Customer, and she was Santa! I tried to sell her Snow Silence, so no one would hear her coming, and my older daughter tried to sell her Power Soap, for a refreshing burst of energy before heading out for a long night of delivering gifts and climbing up and down chimneys.

Not only is Snake Oil fun, it inspires some creative learning. You have to be able to think quickly and be flexible enough to work with whatever comes up. Also, even if you have the best card combination for a "product" that will suit your "customer," if you can't market it well, you will lose. Communication skills are important, too, because even if you think the product you came up with is a bit ridiculous, you still have to make your "customer" want to buy it.

My girls and I had a blast playing this game, and we agreed that it would have been even more fun with more players. If you're looking for a great game to add to your family collection for Christmas, or to give as a gift, check out Snake Oil (19.99)! If you have younger children, consider Snake Oil - Party Potion for ages 8 and up (14.99). In addition to these great party games, Out of the Box Games has some classroom games that look fantastic (most only need 2 players; one game needs 3 to start) and helpful information for educators.

Connect with Out of the Box Games on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube!

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A New Book for Christmas!

I love Christmas, and I love Christmas books. I am always looking for new-to-us stories to read to my children. Even my teenagers look forward to the box of Christmas books coming out every December!

This year, I received the opportunity through the Schoolhouse Review Crew to review If He Had Not Come from David Nicholson. The story was originally written by Nan F. Weeks, published in an anthology in 1938.

David Nicholson is a retired schoolteacher and short term missionary. He has shared this story with his own family for years. He's now republished it in a beautiful hardcover book, for ages 6 and up, with lovely illustrations by Charles Jaskiewicz. The font is clear and big - wonderful for, ah, older eyes that don't do well with tiny letters anymore.

The story is about a little boy named Bobby, who, while reading the Bible with his father, is struck by the words Jesus said: "If I had not come" from John 15:22. When he goes to sleep, he dreams that Jesus had not come to earth. It should be Christmas day, but all the businesses are open. There is no hospital or homeless shelter to help the sick man he comes across while searching for his parents. Where there was once a homeless shelter, he finds men gambling, and when he asks for help, they're mean to him. There is no orphanage where he remembers there being one. His church doesn't exist. Everywhere, he sees the words, "If I had not come." Eventually he wakes up, and realized he had been dreaming, and he's SO glad Christ really did come.

Mr. Nicholson has included some discussion questions for families or Sunday School teachers. There is also a "Going Deeper" section with some great, though-provoking questions, such as "What would it mean for us spiritually if Jesus had not come to earth?" All of the Going Deeper questions have Scripture references to aid in your discussion. Mr. Nicholson also presents the Gospel in the back of the book, and there is page with instructions for drawing a Christmas tree with information on the symbolism involved, like "The star on the top of the tree represents the star that led the wise men to Jesus."

My kids enjoyed hearing this story. I enjoyed it, too. I know it's a book we will enjoy together for a long time, and because my girls liked the story, they will be willing to read it to my son. He does love spending time with his big sisters, and they love activities, like reading, that don't involve "ninja moves" or "sword practice."

It's a different story line than most other Christmas books. It's rather tense, with Bobby finding only annoyance and anger from the people he encounters. I suppose that is the point; the world without Jesus is not a nice place. Of course, there is a happy ending, when Bobby wakes up and realizes that it's all been a dream.

If He Had Not Come is available as a printed hardcover for $18.95, and as an ebook for $3.99.

Connect with David Nicholson on Facebook!

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REVIEW: When London Burned Audiobook

I love audio books. I discovered them years ago for myself, as something to do while working in the kitchen. I can't skip any words - no skimming when someone else does the reading. When I started spending a lot of time in the car with my children, audio books made a nice change from listening to the Wiggles or Elmo. We have listened to lots of great stories together. It's also been a nice option on long road trips. I was recently given the opportunity through the Schoolhouse Crew to review When London Burned by G.A. Henty as an audiobook, with the accompanying study guide, from Jim Hodges Productions.

G.A. Henty was a military correspondent and prolific British author who lived in the mid to late 1800's. He wrote 122 books of historical fiction about both British and American historical events. His storytelling began with telling stories to his four children after dinner. His stories are historically accurate, and exemplify noble character. His books are recommended for ages 10 and up.

When London Burned was set in London in the 1600's, around the time of the Great Plague and the Great Fire of London. We are studying the Renaissance and Reformation in history this year, so it was a great book for us. The story is about Cyril Shenstone, son of Sir Aubrey Shenstone, a knight who fought with King Charles II to help him regain his throne from Oliver Cromwell. Sir Aubrey dies when Cyril is only 15, leaving him to find his way in the world on his own with no money and no estate, Sir Aubrey having sold it to help finance the King's campaign. The story tells of Cyril's adventures in London, and he is portrayed as a young man of great faith and character. When the Plague hits London, for example, rather than hiding in his house, he goes out to see how he can be helpful to those who are afflicted. Although I occasionally thought Cyril was a bit too good to be true, one part of the book affected me particularly. Cyril's pastor preached about showing compassion to those afflicted with the plague, which was in sharp contrast to most other preachers of that time, who said the plague had come down on them in judgement for sin. Cyril took those words to heart, and rather than hiding in his house to try to avoid illness, he went out to see how he could be of helpful. He ended up working as an assistant to a doctor, who appreciated Cyril's level head and willingness to work.

Each Jim Hodges audio book comes as an MP3 CD, which means it will not play in a standard CD player. You could rip the CD onto your computer, though, and put the audio book onto an MP3 device. The books are broken out into chapters on the CD, which makes it easy to find your place if you schedule your listening time.

When London Burned is a long book - the total listening time is 13 hours and 21 minutes. I have to be honest: my kids and I kept wondering when London was actually going to burn, and we were glad when we finally got to the point of the story. I had not read anything by Henty before, and I have heard people say he wrote excellent historical fiction, and other people have said his books were a bit dry. I probably fall in the "bit dry" camp. I'm not sure I would have made it through this book without the audio. Mr. Hodges does a good job differentiating voices between characters, and pronounces things clearly. His narrating style is a little dry, perhaps, but overall it was a good listening experience.

When London Burned Study Guide

Because we listened to the book in the car, we weren't able to utilize the study guide much. The best thing about tit, for me, was the vocabulary list provided for each chapter. That was great, because there are a lot of nautical terms and I didn't know very many of them! If I were going to present this book to my children, we would definitely use the study guide to go over vocabulary. There are some excellent questions in there, which ask more than just recalling details from the book. We were encouraged to learn more about Puritanism and Oliver Cromwell, find out where the original site of St. Alphage's Church was, and compare the French baton to the English singlestick, just to name a few of the topics. The study guide encourages further research and fleshes out this period in history.

I enjoyed listening to this audio book. It was a good first experience with G.A. Henty's writing. If we

When London Burned is available from Jim Hodges Productions for $24.99 for the MP3 CD, or as a digitla download for $18.00. The study guide is also available as a PDF download for $12.00.

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You NEED This Pencil Sharpener - Really.

It's the little things that can make days go so much better, isn't it? As homeschoolers, we use (and lose) a LOT of pencils. I have been on a hunt for a great pencil sharpener for a long time. I've tried electric ones (nope) and small hand-held ones (those nice silver ones are great, but messy), and I even have one of those old metal ones that we all used to have in school when we were growing up. It's loud, but it's worked the best so far. Unfortunately, in this house, I have yet to find a good place to mount it. We've lived here more than 4 years.

I recently contacted Troy Decoff of  Classroom Friendly Supplies, and he kindly sent me one of his amazing pencil sharpeners, in the lovely shade of Firehouse Red, to review. I had heard about them from another blogging friend of mine, and wanted to see for myself how they measured up.

As soon as my sharpener arrived in the mail, I hunted down all the pencils in the house that needed sharpening and set to work. I could not believe the point that came out on these pencils! Not only does it sharpen perfectly every time, but the it stops when the pencil is done so you don't grind your pencil down to a stub. I don't normally do that, actually, but I do have a young someone in my house who thinks sharpening pencils down to nothing is great fun. This sharpener doesn't allow that to happen. Also, it's quiet. That is a huge benefit when you have a child who can't tolerate any noise when they are trying to read. I may or may not have one that fits that description...

These pencil sharpeners come with a clamp to allow mounting it to a table or counter. You can also purchase a mounting plate if you want it to stay in a permanent location. Sometimes we do schoolwork in our school room, and sometimes we work at the table, depending on the subject, so it's nice to be able to bring the pencil sharpener along with us.

One great thing about this sharpener is that the blades are replaceable. You can order one set of replacement blades for $14.99, or a set of two for $22.99. It's easy to get the sharpener apart to replace them, too. My 7 year old got it apart on the first day we had it, and told me he "broke" it. That was not the case, thankfully, and it did show me that replacing the blades would be simple should the time come when it's necessary.

The one issue I have with this sharpener is that it only sharpens standard-sized pencils. My little guy uses big pencils sometimes, and we have some fat colored pencils, too, and those won't fit. The good news? Classroom Friendly Supplies now has a Large Hole Sharpener! It's the same price as the other sharpeners, and works on standard size pencils, too. It doesn't mount to a surface, but that is just fine with me. It only comes in black at this point, which I also don't mind.

Kinda takes your breath away, doesn't it?

This pencil sharpener is amazing. AMAZING, I tell you. You need one - you might need several. The good news is that one sharpener is $24.99, and you may purchase three for $53.97 ($17.99 each,a 30% discount). If you're ordering for a school (they do accept purchase orders), you may purchase an entire case of 36 sharpeners for just $13.99 each. If you have a homeschool group, or know enough people who want them, you could order together and get a nice discount. Be sure to check out their website, and connect with them on Facebook, where they share giveaways.

REVIEW: Middlebury Interactive Languages

For this school year, I'm doing something we haven't done before: exploring options for online classes. My oldest is in high school now, and there are some areas in which I could use some extra support. I haven't been consistent in teaching foreign language. I couldn't decide what to teach; I took a fair bit of French in college, but I wondered if Spanish would be more useful; I wanted to teach Latin but wasn't sure how I wanted go about doing that; etc. We were recently given the opportunity to review a six month subscription to Middlebury Interactive Languages, and I was excited to try it out. I had my oldest daughter, who is in 9th grade, enroll in their high school French Courses. 

They offer courses in Spanish, French, German and Chinese, for students in grades K-12. Note that only Spanish is offered for the K-2 grades at this time.

We were a little confused when we first logged in, but once we figured out what was going on, the program was very easy to use. Upon logging in, we saw this screen:

Honestly, I wondered what on earth we were supposed to do, but we did finally notice the little arrow at the bottom right of the screen in the "Up Next" section. 

When you put in your start date for the course, a calendar is automatically set up for you with the lessons all scheduled. Middle school and high school lessons are scheduled 5 days per week, for a total of 90 lessons per semester. 

There is also a Table of Contents, where you can see all the lessons listed. When you click on a lesson folder, it opens up so you can see each part of the lesson. In the semester overview, you are able to see what will be covered in your lessons.

The course begins with an explanation of Student Resources, which walks you through what you need to know about using the course. My daughter and I appreciated the information they provided on typing in accents on the Mac, particularly. That was very helpful. Another useful option is the ability to print each unit's vocabulary list. When you click "Print," you get a lovely PDF file with all the words and the translations listed for you. Voilà! (My recommendation is to print the lists and put them in a notebook, minimally; ideally the student would copy them into a notebook. Physically writing things out makes a BIG difference in retention, in my experience.)

Each unit has 5 lessons, and each lesson incorporates varied activities that help the student connect with the language they are learning. Each day's lesson is a little different, so it's never boring. Students learn vocabulary and grammar, and also a bit about the cultures in the countries where French is spoken. Activities include short videos, listening, reading, writing (typing), and interactive games. The typing activities include filling in blanks with vocabulary words, but also short journal entries. I was impressed with how quickly students are assigned to write a few sentences in French, using what they've learned in the program. Each day's lesson takes up to about a half hour, depending on how quickly the student moves through the activities.

My daughter found the Speaking Labs to be particularly helpful, because you listen to a native speaker pronounce what you're learning and then you record yourself repeating the word or phrase. You can then compare your pronunciation to the native speaker's and see how well you've done. It can be tricky to produce sounds correctly in a foreign language, and this feature shows students where they need the most practice.

From a teacher's perspective, this is an incredibly easy program to use. A high school student logs in independently and works independently.  The program automatically takes them to where they left off when they log in again, so there is no confusion about that. You can easily use this program with a computer or tablet, which makes it portable. There is a grade book which shows you the scores they've received on the work they've completed. 

My only concern about the program, and this applies to most online courses we've tried, is the lack of physical writing assignments. Typing is fine, but physically writing things out helps make an important connection in a student's brain. I have Emma write things in a notebook. I realize there is no way for an online course to grade that kind of thing, but I still think it's important.

I am impressed with this program and think it's an excellent online language course option for homeschoolers. You can purchase courses for $119 per semester. If you'd like to learn more about Middlebury Interactive Languages, click here for some videos about their programs (you will be asked to enter your email address. 

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REVIEW: Standard Deviants Accelerate

We were given recently the opportunity to review Standard Deviants Accelerate Homeschool Courses through the Schoolhouse Crew. This was good timing for us, as they have a biology course, and we are studying biology this year. The topics covered in SDA's course videos seemed as though they would go along with what we're studying quite nicely. We received a one-year subscription, with the ability to try out any course, for the purpose of our review.

Standard Deviants Accelerate began more than 20 years ago, when a couple of college graduates came up with the idea of recording core academic subjects on video and making them entertaining for students. They've made some DVDs, and now they offer their courses online. With these web-based courses, students can access them from anywhere - they can use a desktop computer, laptop or tablet, anywhere they have internet access. SDA offer courses in 14 different subjects for students as young as 8 years old:

• Earth Science (6th grade & up)
• Nutrition (6th grade & up)
• Biology (7th grade & up)
• Chemistry (9th grade & up)
• Arithmetic (3rd grade & up)
• Fundamental Math (4th grade & up)
• Algebra (7th grade & up)
• English Composition (9th grade & up)
• U.S. History (9th grade & up)
• AP Biology (11th grade & up)
• AP Chemistry (11th grade & up)
• AP U.S. Government & Politics (11th grade & up)
• AP U.S. History (11th grade & up)
• AP English Composition

What did we use?

We used the regular biology program. I had my 8th grader watch the videos and do the lessons.

How does it work?

First, you have to make an account for your student. When they log in, they see their courses:

When you click on your course, you see all the available topics:

Each lesson has a video, vocabulary section, quiz, and a written answer. Some sections have a diagram, such as the ones we saw of an atom and a cell.

Each video is about 10 minutes long. There is a text box available for the student to type notes and save them online. I had  my daughter write notes in her science journal, because there is an important connection between writing something down and retaining knowledge. There is an option to print the full transcript of the video, which I liked; it made it easier to take notes and review the information once the video was over. Also, if you have a child who prefers reading to listening or watching, they will appreciate that feature.

The vocabulary list has an audio clip available for each word, and the list with definition is printable. The diagram has drag-and-drop words to match, and the quiz is multiple choice. Pretty simple.

The "Thematic Question," though... That's a different story. For the biology course, the thematic question was "How does form follow function in biology?" Students are instructed to think about this after each lesson, and answer the questions: "How does the perspective of the thematic question inform your understanding of the topics covered in this lesson?" and "How does what you have learned in this section provide new dimensions to your understanding of the thematic question asked above?". I am not quite sure what to make of those questions myself, much less how to explain them to my students. There is a grading rubric for teachers, but any grading would be completely subjective depending on what the teacher thought the answer to the question should be. The good news is that you can skip that part of the program and it doesn't count against the student's grade.

Grading Rubric for the Thematic Question

What did we like?

• The videos are a nice reinforcement to our biology studies. I enjoyed watching them. They reminded me of a PBS program - educational and entertaining.
• The lessons were short, and therefore easy to fit into our school week.
• I liked having the diagrams of things like cells for the visual reinforcement.

What didn't we like?

• My daughter didn't care for the way the speakers kept changing, rather than having one person present an entire lesson. She also felt that she was being spoken to as a young child, rather than a teenager. She the information was presented effectively, but she found the presentation "annoying."
• At the end of each lesson, there is a button that says, "Take Me to the Next Topic." That's great, except that it does not take the student to the work that needs to be completed; it takes them to the next instructional video. When I went in to check my daughter's progress, I could not figure out why it showed 0%, until I realized she'd been clicking the "next topic" button. In order to complete the quizzes for each topic, the student needs to click on the tabs at the top.
• Grades and progress reports are not available in the same place. You have to look in one spot to see grades, and in another spot to see how far along your student is in the course.
• Nothing indicates lessons that are completed, and there is no ability to stop in the middle of a video and come back to the same place if you exit out of the page. It would seem logical to have the links at least change color once they have been clicked on, or somehow show that the lesson has been completed, or at least begun.
• The grading process is not terribly simple, and that's one of the things that tends to draw me to online courses - the grading is done for me, thereby taking something off my plate.

One note: These are secular courses. Evolution was one of the topics in our biology class. I don't have a problem with that, but it's worth mentioning for those who prefer a creationist approach.

Overall, I felt that the biology course was an acceptable supplement. We didn't find this to be one of our favorite online courses, simply because of the somewhat awkward setup. However, if you have a student who is struggling with biology, this would be a good way to reinforce the information they're studying. 

Regular courses are available from SDA for $99 for a year's subscription, or $24.95 per month. AP courses are available for $14.95 per month, per student. They have a special offer right now - through November 15th, you can get a six-month free trial! 

Also, if you'd like to learn more about their programs, click here to sign up for a free webinar, during which a live representative will walk you through all the features and benefits of their programs.

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REVIEW: Apologia iWitness

I am always looking for good Bible study resources–books that explain questions I have had about the Bible, such as how history as we know it lines up with the history in the Bible. I was intrigued, therefore, by these three books I recently received to review from Apologia Educational Ministries' iWitness series:

• iWitness Bible Archaeology ($14.00)
• Old Testament iWitness ($14.00)
• New Testament iWitness ($14.00) 

What are they?

The iWitness books are intended to engage children in learning about the Bible, in a visually appealing and non-intimidating way. They have a reading level appropriate for around ages 11 and up. These books are presented as a series of hand-written documents with lots of pictures, which really do pique interest and invite further exploration. Doug Powell, Apologia's art director and author of the iWitness books, mentions in this interview that these are intended to be interactive books - the information is presented, and the reader is asked to think through it. He said these are the books he wishes he could have read for the answers to questions he had.

iWitness Bible Archaeology talks about the archaeological discoveries that correlate with or illuminate biblical history. There is some great stuff in here! We learned about the different accounts of the flood, Egyptian chronology, and where different manuscripts of both the Old and New Testaments have been found, just to name a few topics. I was particularly interested in the part about all the places Hadrian had filled in, such as the cave where Christians believed Jesus was born, and then Constantine dug them all back out and had them protected.

Old Testament iWitness presented how the Old Testament books were chosen, the process for copying them. It was interesting to see how the Hebrew Bible is different from what I know as the Old Testament. We learned some new words, too. I had heard of the Septuagint, and the Torah, but we learned together about the Tanakh, or the Hebrew Bible, as well as the Nevi'im, and the Ketuvi'im, which are divisions of the Hebrew Bible along with the Torah. We also learned about the Apocrypha, what exactly it is, and why the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches include it in their Bibles.

In New Testament iWitness, we read about how the books in the New Testament were chosen, which books were not included, and why. We learned about early theologians, the church fathers, and the Apostolic Fathers. We saw a timeline for when the New Testament books were probably written. I knew some things we read, and we'd studied some of the people, but there was also a ton of new information presented in here.

How did we use them?

My teenagers were able to go through the books on their own, but in general, we chose to go through them together, along with my 7 year old, during our daily morning time together. We would sit together and look at the pictures, read the information and discuss, and the kids were free to take the books and look at them after. There is so much detail, and so many beautiful pictures, they're fun to go back to again and again.

What did we like?

These books were great family devotional material for us, and I could see them being fun for use with a youth group or Sunday school class.

I really like that the information is presented in such a way that the reader has to think through the material for themselves and draw their own conclusions. There is no "obviously, this is the truth" or "clearly you will believe this way after reading this book" here. That's why they make for such great discussions. Just looking at Egyptian chronology in the archaeology book kept us busy for quite some time.

I find that having this kind of historical information adds a new and helpful dimension to reading and learning what the Bible says. My children enjoyed reading through them with me, and I love that they (and I) have this information under their belts now.

What didn't we like?

There was very little about these books that we didn't like. The only issue we had was that my very visual daughter found them a bit overwhelming. Each page spread is presented as if it has several hand-written documents on it, which is interesting and cool, but can be difficult to read. These books were, for us, better taken in smaller chunks rather than reading straight through. It wasn't a problem, it's just that my visual child was not interested in looking through them on her own, so we went through them together.

Overall, I thought these were excellent books. Although they are relatively thin paperback books, there is more information presented in them than I could possibly share with you, and it's fascinating reading. They stand alone, or make a great jumping-off place for more research if you find you want to know more. Each book has a good bibliography in the back. You can follow lots of rabbit trails with internet searching, too.

In addition to the three books we received to review, there are two other iWitness books currently available: Jesus iWitness and Resurrection iWitness. There are also two new books planned for 2015 - iWitness World Religions and iWitness Heretics and Cults. Exciting stuff!

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